1 


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SCENES 


AND 


ADVENTURES 


IN     THE 


emt-Slljntu  jUgion 


OF     THE 


OZARK  MOUNTAINS   OF  MISSOURI 
AND  ARKANSAS, 

WHICH  WERE  FIRST  TRAVERSED  BY  DE  SOTO,  IN  1541. 


BY  HENRY  ROWE  SCHOOLCRAFT. 


•   -     ■    . 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LIPPINCOTT,    GRAMBO  &   CO 

1853. 


.£33 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1853,  by 

HENRY  ROWE  SCHOOLCRAFT, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Columbia. 


(iv) 


•  *    • 


.    .     /  .  I  .    1         *      t 


Dpfrirutintu 


To  the  Memory 

OF 

D  E    WITT    CLINTON, 

LATE    GOVERNOR    OF    THE    STATE    OF    NEW    YORK,    iC.   AC.   AC, 
AN    EARLY    FRIEND,    DURING    THE    YEARS    DEVOTED    TO    THESE    EXCURSIONS 

INTO    THE    GREAT  AREA    OF    THE    WEST; 

A    MAN    WHO    WAS    EMINENT    IN    VARIOUS    WALKS    OF    LIFE; 

WHO,     BY     HIS     EXALTED     FORECAST,     WISE     COUNSELS,     AND     STEADY     POLICY, 

CONTRIBUTED    TO    THE    HIGHEST    BENEFITS    AND    RENOWN    OF    HIS 

NATIVE    STATE;  — 

THESE    RECORDS    OF    INCIDENTS    OF    EXPLORATORY    TRAVEL, 

ARE    DEDICATED    WITH    THE     SINCEREST    SENTIMENTS    OF    RESPECT    AND    REGARD 

FOR    HIS    CHARACTER    AND    NAME, 

WHICH     I     EVER     ENTERTAINED     FOR     HIM     WHILE     LIVING, 

AND    CONTINUE    TO    CHERISH    NOW    THAT    HE    IS    DEAD. 

HENRY  R.  SCHOOLCRAFT. 


* 


PREFACE. 


These  early  adventures  in  the  Ozarks  comprehend  my  first 
exploratory  effort  in  the  great  area  of  the  West.  To  traverse 
the  plains  and  mountain  elevations  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  had  once  echoed  the  tramp  of  the  squadrons  of  De  Soto 
— to  range  over  hills,  and  through  rugged  defiles,  which  he  had 
once  searched  in  the  hope  of  finding  mines  of  gold  and  silver 
rivalling  those  of  Mexico  and  Peru ;  and  this,  too,  comirg  as 
a  climax  to  the  panorama  of  a  long,  long  journey  from  the 
East  —  constituted  an  attainment  of  youthful  exultation  and 
self-felicitation,  which  might  have  been  forgotten  with  its  ter- 
mination. But  the  incidents  are  perceived  to  have  had  a  value 
of  a  different  kind.  They  supply  the  first  attempt  to  trace  the 
track  of  the  Spanish  cavaliers  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
name  of  De  Soto  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  territorial 
area  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  which  he  was  the  first  Euro- 
pean to  penetrate,  and  in  the  latter  of  which  he  died. 

Four-and-thirty  years  have  passed  away,  since  the  travels 
here  brought  to  view,  were  terminated.  They  comprise  a 
period  of  exciting  and  startling  events  in  our  history,  social 
and  political.     With  the  occupancy  of  Oregon,  the  annexation 

(v) 


VI  PREFACE. 

of  Texas,  the  discoveries  in  California,  and  the  acquisition  of 
New  Mexico,  the  very  ends  of  the  Union  appear  to  have  been 
turned  about.  And  the  lone  scenes  and  adventures  of  a  man 
on  a  then  remote  frontier,  may  be  thought  to  have  lost  their 
interest.  But  they  are  believed  to  possess  a  more  permanent 
character.  It  is  the  first  and  only  attempt  to  identify  De 
Soto's  march  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  it  recalls  reminis- 
cences of  scenes  and  observations  which  belong  to  the  history 
of  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  the  country. 

Little,  it  is  conceived,  need  be  said,  to  enable  the  reader  to 
determine  the  author's  position  on  the  frontiers  of  Missouri 
and  Arkansas  in  1818.  He  had  passed  the  summer  and  fall 
of  that  year  in  investigating  the  geological  structure  and  mine- 
ral resources  of  the  lead-mine  district  of  Missouri.  He  had 
discovered  the  isolated  primitive  tract  on  the  sources  of  the 
St.  Francis  and  Grand  rivers — the  "Coligoa"  of  the  Spanish 
adventurer — and  he  felt  a  strong  impulse  to  explore  the  regions 
west  of  it,  to  determine  the  extent  of  this  formation,  and  fix 
its  geological  relations  between  the  primitive  ranges  of  the 
Alleghany  and  Rocky  mountains. 

Reports  represented  it  as  an  alpine  tract,  abounding  in  pic- 
turesque valleys  and  caves,  and  replete  with  varied  mineral 
resources,  but  difficult  to  penetrate  on  account  of  the  hostile 
character  of  the  Osage  and  Pawnee  Indians.  He  recrossed 
the  Mississippi  to  the  American  bottom  of  Illinois,  to  lay  his 
plan  before  a  friend  and  fellow-traveller  in  an  earlier  part  of 
his  explorations,  Mr.  Ebenezer  Brigham,  of  Massachusetts,  who 
agreed  to  unite  in  the  enterprise.  He  then  proceeded  to  St. 
Louis,  where  Mr.  Pettibone,  a  Connecticut  man,  and  a  fellow- 
voyager  on  the  Alleghany  river,  determined  also  to  unite  in 
this  interior  journey.     The  place  of  rendezvous  was  appointed 


PREFACE.  Vll 

at  Potosi,  about  forty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi.     Each 
one  was  to  share  in  the  preparations,  and  some  experienced 
hunters  and  frontiersmen  were  to  join  in  the  expedition.     But 
it  turned  out,  when  the  day  of  starting  arrived,  that  each  one 
of  the  latter  persons  found  some  easy  and  good  excuse  for 
declining  to  go,  principally  on  the  ground  that  they  were  poor 
men,  and  could  not  leave  supplies  for  their  families  during  so 
long  a  period  of  absence.     Both  the  other  gentlemen  came 
promptly  to  the  point,  though  one  of  them  was  compelled  by 
sickness  to  return  ;  and  my  remaining  companion  and  myself 
plunged  into    the  wilderness  with  a   gust   of   adventure   and 
determination,   which    made    amends    for   whatever    else   we 
lacked. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  add,  that  the  following  journal 
narrates  the  incidents  of  the  tour.  The  narrative  is  drawn 
up  from  the  original  manuscript  journal  in  my  possession. 
Outlines  of  parts  of  it,  were  inserted  in  the  pages  of  the  Belles- 
lettres  Repository,  by  Mr.  Van  Winkle,  soon  after  my  return 
to  New  York,  in  1819 ;  from  whence  they  were  transferred  by 
Sir  Richard  Phillips  to  his  collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels, 
London,  1821.  This  latter  work  has  never  been  republished 
in  the  United  States. 

In  preparing  the  present  volume,  after  so  considerable  a  lapse 
of  time,  it  has  been  thought  proper  to  omit  all  such  topics  as  are 
not  deemed  of  permanent  or  historical  value.  The  scientific 
facts  embraced  in  the  appendix,  on  the  mines  and  mineralogy 
of  Missouri,  are  taken  from  my  publication  on  these  subjects. 
In  making  selections  and  revisions  from  a  work  which  was  at 
first  hastily  prepared,  I  have  availed  myself  of  the  advantage 
of  subsecpuent  observation  on  the  spot,  as  well  as  of  the  sugges- 
tions and  critical  remarks  made  by  men  of  judgment  and 
science. 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

A  single  further  remark  may  be  made  :  The  term  Ozark  is 
applied  to  a  broad,  elevated  district  of  highlands,  running  from 
north  to  south,  centrally,  through  the  States  of  Missouri  and 
Arkansas.  It  has  on  its  east  the  striking  and  deep  alluvial 
tract  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and,  on  its  west,  the  woodless 
buffalo  plains  or  deserts  which  stretch  below  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. The  Osage  Indians,  who  probably  furnish  origin  for 
the  term,  have  occupied  all  its  most  remarkable  gorges  and 
eminences,  north  of  the  Arkansas,  from  the  earliest  historical 
times;  and  this  tribe,  with  the  Pawnees  ("Apana"),  are  sup- 
posed to  have  held  this  position  ever  since  the  days  of  De  Soto. 

Washington,  January  20,  1853. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction *-►.  .-^. .  .-.-*.  .■*-.  -  •  ■—■•  .-•  •  •  •-•  ►  ..-...• Page    13 

CHAPTER  I. 

Junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mississippi  —  Difficulty  of  Ascending 
the  latter  with  a  Barge  —  Its  turbid  and  rapid  Character  —  Inci- 
dents of  the  Voyage  —  Physical  Impediments  to  its  Navigation  — 
Falling-in  Banks  —  Tiawapati  —  Animals  —  Floating  Trees  — 
River  at  Night  —  Needless  and  laughable  Alarm  —  Character  of 
the  Shores  —  Men  give  out  —  Reach  the  first  fast  Lands  —  Mineral 
Products  —  Cape  Girardeau  —  Moccasin  Spring  —  Non-poetic  geo- 
graphical Names  —  Grand  Tower  —  Struggle  to  pass  Cape  Garlic.    22 

CHAPTER  II. 

Pass  Cape  Garlic  —  Obrazo  River  —  Cliffs  —  Emigrants  —  Cape  St. 
Comb  —  Bois  Brule  Bottom  —  Paroquet  —  Fort  Chartres  —  Kas- 
kaskia — St.  Genevieve  —  M.  Breton  — The  Mississippi  deficient 

,  in  Fish  —  Antiquities  —  Geology  —  Steamer  —  Herculaneum  — 
M.  Austin,  Esq.,  the  Pioneer  to  Texas  —  Journey  on  foot  to  St. 
Louis  —  Misadventures  on  the  Maramec  —  Its  Indian  Name  — 
Carondelet  —  St.  Louis,  its  fine  Site  and  probable  future  Import- 
ance —  St.  Louis  Mounds  not  artificial  —  Downward  Pressure  of 
the  diluvial  Drift  of  the  Mississippi 32 

CHAPTER  III. 

Resolve  to  proceed  further  "West  —  Night  Voyage  on  the  Mississippi 
in  a  Skiff — An  Adventure  —  Proceed  on  foot  West  to  the  Mis- 
souri Mines  —  Incidents  by  the  Way  —  Miners'  Village  of  Shib- 
boleth —  Compelled  by  a  Storm  to  pass  the  Night  at  Old  Mines  — 
Reach  Potosi  —  Favourable  Reception  by  the  mining  Gentry  — 
Pass  several  Months  in  examining  the  Mines  —  Organize  an  Ex- 
pedition to  explore  "Westward  —  Its  Composition  —  Discourage- 
ments on  setting  out  —  Proceed,  notwithstanding  —  Incidents  of 

the  Journey  to  the  Valley  of  Leaves 43 

(ix) 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Horses  elope  —  Desertion  of  our  Guide  —  Encamp  on  one  of  the 
Sources  of  Black  River  —  Head-waters  of  the  River  Currents  — 
Enter  a  romantic  Sub-Valley  —  Saltpetre  Caves  —  Description  of 
Ashley's  Cave  —  Encampment  there  —  Enter  an  elevated  Summit 

—  Calamarca,  an  unknown  Stream  —  encounter  four  Bears  — 
North  Fork  of  White  River 54 

CHAPTER   V. 

Descend  the  Valley  —  Its  Difficulties  —  Horse  rolls  down  a  Precipice 

—  Purity  of  the  Water  —  Accident  caused  thereby  —  Elkhorn 
Spring  —  Tower  Creek  —  Horse  plunges  over  his  depth  in  Ford- 
ing, and  destroys  whatever  is  deliquescent  in  his  pack  —  Absence 
of  Antiquities,  or  Evidences  of  ancient  Habitation  —  a  remarkable 
Cavern  —  Pinched  for  Food  —  Old  Indian  Lodges  —  The  Beaver 

—  A  deserted  Pioneer's  Camp  —  Incident  of  the  Pumpkin 65 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Abandon  our  Camp  and  Horse  in  search  of  Settlements  —  Incidents 
of  the  first  Day  —  Hear  a  Shot  —  Camp  in  an  old  Indian  Lodge  — 
Acorns  for  Supper  —  Kill  a  Woodpecker  —  Incidents  of  the  second 
Day  —  Sterile  Ridges  —  Want  of  Water  —  Camp  at  Night  in  a 
deep  Gorge  —  Incidents  of  the  third  Day  —  Find  a  Horse-path, 
and  pursue  it  —  Discover  a  Man  on  Horseback  —  Reach  a  Hun- 
ter's Cabin  —  Incidents  there  —  He  conducts  us  back  to  our  old 
Camp  —  Deserted  there  without  Provisions  —  Deplorable  State  — 
Shifts  —  Taking  of  a  Turkey 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Proceed  West  —  Bog  our  Horse  —  Cross  the  Knife  Hills  —  Reach 
the  Unica,  or  White  River  —  Abandon  the  Horse  at  a  Hunter's, 
and  proceed  with  Packs  —  Objects  of  Pity  —  Sugar-Loaf  Prairie 

—  Camp  under  a  Cliff — Ford  the  Unica  twice  —  Descend  into  a 
Cavern  —  Reach  Beaver  River,  the  highest  Point  of  Occupancy 

by  a  Hunter  Population 83 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Obstacle  produced  by  the  Fear  of  Osage  Hostility  —  Means  pursued 
to  overcome  it  —  Natural  Monuments  of  Denudation  in  the  Lime- 
stone Cliffs  —  Purity  of  the  Water  —  Pebbles  of  Yellow  Ja  *per — 
Complete  the  Hunters'  Cabins  —  A  Job  in  Jewellery  —  Construct 
a  Blowpipe  from  Cane  —  What  is  thought  of  Religion 95 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


Proceed  into  the  Hunting-Country  of  the  Osages —  Diluvial  Hills 
and   Plains  —  Bald   Hill  —  Swan   Creek  —  Osage   Encampments 

—  Form  of  the  Osage  Lodge  —  The  Habits  of  the  Beaver  —  Dis- 
cover a  remarkable  Cavern  in  the  Limestone  Rock,  having  na- 
tural Vases  of  pure  Water  —  Its  geological  and  metalliferous 
Character  —  Reach  the  Summit  of  the  Ozark  Range,  which- is 
found  to  display  a  broad  Region  of  fertile  Soil,  overlying  a 
mineral  Deposit 101 

CHAPTER   X. 

Depart  from  the  Cave  —  Character  of  the  Hunters  who  guided  the 
Author  —  Incidents  of  the  Route —  A  beautiful  and  fertile  Coun- 
try, abounding  in  Game  —  Reach  the  extreme  north-western 
Source  of  White  River  —  Discoveries  of  Lead-ore  in  a  Part  of  its 
Bed  —  Encamp,  and  investigate  its  Mineralogy  —  Character,  Va- 
lue, and  History  of  the  Country  —  Probability  of  its  having  been 
traversed  by  De  Soto  in  1541 109 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Severe  winter  Weather  on  the  Summit  of  the  Ozarks  —  False  Alarm 
of  Indians  —  Danger  of  my  Furnace,  etc.,  being  hereafter  taken 
for  Antiquities  —  Proceed  South  —  Animal  Tracks  in  the  Snow  — 
Winoca  or  Spirit  Valley  —  Honey  and  the  Honey-Bee  —  Buffalo- 
Bull  Creek  —  Robe  of  Snow  —  Mehausca  Valley  —  Superstitious 
Experiment  of  the  Hunters  —  Arrive  at  Beaver  Creek 115 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Descend  White  River  in  a  Canoe  —  Its  pure  Water,  Character,  and 
Scenery  —  Places  of  Stopping  —  Bear  Creek  —  Sugar-Loaf  Prairie 

—  Bis  Creek — A  River  Pedlar  —  Pot  Shoals  —  Mouth  of  Little 
North  Fork  —  Descend  formidable  Rapids,  called  the  Bull  Shoals 

—  Stranded  on  Rocks  —  A  Patriarch  Pioneer  —  Mineralogy  — 
Antique  Pottery  and  Bones  —  Some  Trace  of  De  Soto  —  A  Trip 

by  Land  — Reach  the  Mouth  of  the  Great  North  Fork 120 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Detention  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Great  North  Fork  —  Natural  His- 
tory of  the  Vicinity  —  Great  Blocks  of  Quartz  —  Imposing  Preci- 
pices of  the  Calico  Rock  —  A  Characteristic  of  American  Scenery 

—  Cherokee  Occupancy  of  the  Country  between  the  White  and 
Arkansas  Rivers  —  Its  Effects  on  the  Pioneers  —  Question  of  the 
Fate  of  the  Indian  Races  —  Iron-ore  —  Descent  to  the  Arkansas 
Ferries  —  Leave  the  River  at  this  Point  —  Remarks  on  its  Char- 
acter and  Productions 128 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Ancient  Spot  of  De  Soto's  crossing  White  River  in  1542  —  Lameness 
produced  by  a  former  Injury —  Incidents  of  the  Journey  to  the  St. 
Francis  River  —  De  Soto's  ancient  Marches  and  Adventures  on 
this  River  in  the  search  after  Gold  —  Fossil  Salt  —  Copper  —  The 
ancient  Ranges  of  the  Buffalo 134 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Proceed  North  —  Incidents  of  the  Route  —  A  severe  Tempest  of 
Rain,  which  swells  the  Stream  —  Change  in  the  Geology  of  the 
Country  —  The  ancient  Coligoa  of  De  Soto  —  A  primitive  and 
mineral  Region  —  St.  Michael  —  Mine  a  La  Motte  —Wade  through 
Wolf  Creek  —  A  Deserted  House  —  Cross  Grand  River  —  Return 
to  Potosi 142 

PHYSICAL   GEOGRAPHY   OF    THE   WEST. 

Two  Letters,  addressed  to  the  Hon.  J.  B.  Thomas,  U.  S.  Senate, 
Washington 146 


APPENDIX. 

MINERALOGY,  GEOLOGY,  AND  MINES. 

1.  A  View  of  the  Lead-Mines  of  Missouri 153 

2.  A  Catalogue  of  the  Minerals  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 198 

3.  Mineral  Resources  of  the  Western  Country.     A  Letter  to  Gen. 

C.  G.  Haines 215 

GEOGRAPHY. 

1.  Missouri , 222 

2.  Hot  Springs  of  Washita 231 

3.  Memoir  of  White  River 233 

4.  List  of  Steamboats  on  the  Mississippi  River  in  1819 239 

ANTIQUITIES  AND   INDIAN   HISTORY. 

1.  Articles  of  curious  Workmanship  found  in  ancient  Indian  Graves  241 

2.  Ancient  Indian  Cemetery  found  in  the  Maramec  Valley 243 


INTRODUCTION. 


De  Soto,  in  1541,  was  the  true  discoverer  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  and  the  first  person  who  crossed  it,  who  has  left  a 
narrative  of  that  fact ;  although  it  is  evident  that  Cabaca  de 
Vaca,  the  noted  survivor  of  the  ill-fated  expedition  of  Narvaez 
in  1528,  must,  in  his  extraordinary  pilgrimage  between  Florida 
and  the  eastern  coasts  of  the  gulf  of  California,  have  crossed 
this  river,  perhaps  before  him ;  but  he  has  not  distinctly  men- 
tioned it  in  his  memoir.  Narvaez  himself  was  not  the  disco- 
verer of  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  as  some  persons  have 
conjectured,  inasmuch  as  he  was  blown  off  the  coast  and  lost, 
east  of  that  point.  The  most  careful  tracing  of  the  narrative 
of  his  voyage  in  boats  along  the  Florida  shore,  as  given  by  De 
Vaca,  does  not  carry  him  beyond  Mobile  bay,  or,  at  farthest, 
Per  dido  bay.* 

De  Soto's  death  frustrated  his  plan  of  founding  a  colony 
of  Spain  in  the  Mississippi  valley ;  and  that  stream  was  al- 
lowed to  roll  its  vast  volume  into  the  gulf  a  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  years  longer,  before  it  attracted  practical  notice.  Pre- 
cisely at  the  end  of  this  time,  namely,  in  1673,  Mons.  Jolliet, 
accompanied  by  James  Marquette,  the  celebrated  enterprising 
missionary  of  New  France,  entered  the  stream  at  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Wisconsin,  in  accordance  with  the  policy,  and  a 
plan  of  exploration,  of  the  able,  brave,  and  efficient  governor- 
general  of  Canada,  the  Count  Frontenac.  Marquette  and  his 
companion,  who  was   the  chief  of  the  expedition,  but  whose 

*  Vide  Narr.  of  Cabaca  de  Vaca,  Smith's  Tr.,  1851. 
2  (13) 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

name  has  become  secondary  to  his  own,  descended  it  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  the  identical  spot  of  De  Soto's  demise. 
La  Salle,  some  five  or  six  years  later,  continued  the  discovery 
to  the  gulf;  and  Hennepin  extended  it  upward,  from  the  point 
■where  Marquette  had  entered  it,  to  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
and  the  river  St.  Francis.  And  it  is  from  this  era  of  La 
Salle,  the  narrators  of  whose  enlarged  plans,  civic  and  eccle- 
siastical, recognised  the  Indian  geographical  terminology,  that 
it  has  retained  its  Algonquin  name  of  Mississippi. 

It  is  by  no  means  intended  to  follow  these  initial  facts  by 
recitals  of  the  progress  of  the  subsequent  local  discoveries  in 
the  Mississippi  valley,  which  were  made  respectively  under 
French,  British,  and  American  rule.  Sufficient  is  it,  for  the 
present  purpose,  to  say,  that  the  thread  of  the  discovery  of  the 
Mississippi,  north  and  west  of  the  points  named,  was  not  taken 
up  effectively,  till  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana.  Mr.  Jefferson 
determined  to  explore  the  newly  acquired  territories,  and 
directed  the  several  expeditions  of  discovery  under  Lewis  and 
Clark,  and  Lieut.  Z.  M.  Pike.  The  former  traced  out  the 
Missouri  to  its  sources,  and  followed  the  Columbia  to  the 
Pacific ;  while  the  latter  continued  the  discovery  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  above  St.  Anthony's  falls,,  where  Hennepin,  and 
perhaps  Carver,  had  respectively  left  it.  The  map  which  Pike 
published  in  1810  contained,  however,  an  error  of  a  capital 
geographical  point,  in  regard  to  the  actual  source  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. He  placed  it  in  Turtle  lake,  at  the  source  of  Turtle 
river  of  upper  Lac  Cedre  liouge,  or  Cass  lake,  which  lies  in 
the  portage  to  Red  lake  of  the  great  Red  River  of  the  North, 
being  in  the  ordinary  route  of  the  fur  trade  to  that  region. 

In  1820,  Mr.  Calhoun,  who  determined  to  erect  a  cordon 
of  military  posts  to  cover  the  remotest  of  the  western  settle- 
ments, at  the  same  time  that  he  despatched  Major  Long  to 
ascend  to  the  Yellowstone  of  the  Missouri,  directed  the  ex- 
treme upper  Mississippi  to  be  examined  and  traced  out  to  its 
source.  This  expedition,  led  by  Gov.  Cass,  through  the  upper 
lakes,  reached  the  mouth  of  Turtle  river  of  the  large  lake 
beyond  the  upper  cataraet  of  the  Mississippi,  which  has  since 
borne  the  name  of  the  intrepid  leader  of  the  party.     It  was 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

satisfactorily  determined  that  Turtle  lake  was  not  the  source, 
nor  even  one  of  the  main  sources,  of  the  Mississippi ;  but  that 
this  river  was  discharged,  in  the  integrity  of  its  volume,  into 
the  western  end  of  Cass  lake.  To  determine  this  point  more 
positively,  and  trace  the  river  to  its  source,  another  expedition 
was  organized  by  the  Department  of  War  in  1832,  and  com- 
mitted to  me.  Taking  up  the  line  of  discovery  where  it  had 
been  left  in  1820,  the  river  was  ascended  up  a  series  of  rapids 
about  forty  miles  north,  to  a  large  lake  called  the  Amigegoma ; 
a  few  miles  above  which,  it  is  constituted  by  two  forks,  having 
a  southern  and  western  origin,  the  largest  and  longest  of  which 
was  found*  to  originate  in  Itasca  lake,  in  north  latitude  37° 
13'  —  a  position  not  far  north  of  Ottertail  lake,  in  the  high- 
lands of  Hauteur  des  Terres. 

So  far  as  the  fact  of  De  Soto's  exploration  of  the  country 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the  present  area  of  Missouri  and 
Arkansas,  is  concerned,  it  is  apprehended  that  the  author  of 
these  incidents  of  travel  has  been  the  first  person  to  identify 
and  explore  this  hitherto  confused  part  of  the  celebrated 
Spanish  explorer's  route.  This  has  been  traced  from  the  nar- 
rative, with  the  aid  of  the  Indian  lexicography,  in  the  third 
volume  of  his  Indian  History  (p.  50),  just  published,  accompa- 
nied by  a  map  of  the  entire  route,  from  his  first  landing  on  the 
western  head  of  Tampa  bay.  Prior  to  the  recital  of  these 
personal  incidents,  it  may  serve  a  useful  purpose  to  recall  the 
state  of  geographical  information  at  this  period. 

The  enlarged  and  improved  map  of  the  British  colonies,  with 
the  geographical  and  historical  analysis,  accompanying  it,  of 
Lewis  Evans,  which  was  published  by  B.  Franklin  in  1754, 
had  a  controlling  effect  on  all  geographers  and  statesmen  of 
the  day,  and  was  an  important  element  in  diffusing  a  correct 
geographical  knowledge  of  the  colonies  at  large,  and  particu- 
larly of  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  agreeably  to  modern 
ideas  of  its  physical  extent.  It  was  a  great  work  for  the  time, 
and  for  many  years  remained  the  standard  of  reference.  In 
some  of  its  features,   it  was   never  excelled.     Mr.  Jefferson 

*  291  years  after  De  Soto's  discovery,  and  159  after  Marquette's. 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

quotes  it,  in  his  Notes  on  Virginia,  and  draws  from  it  some 
interesting  opinions  concerning  Indian  history,  as  in  the  allu- 
sion to  the  locality  and  place  of  final  refuge  of  the  Eries.  It 
was  from  the  period  of  the  publication  of  this  memoir  that  the! 
plan  of  an  "  Ohio  colony,"  in  which  Dr.  Franklin  had  an  active 
agency,  appears  to  have  had  its  origin. 

Lewis  Evans  was  not  only  an  eminent  geographer  himself, 
but  his  map  and  memoir,  as  will  appear  on  reference  to  them, 
embrace  the  discoveries  of  his  predecessors  and  contemporary 
explorers,  as  Conrad  Wiser  and  others,  in  the  West.  The 
adventurous  military  reconnoissance  of  Washington  to  fort  Le 
Bceuf,  on  lake  Erie,  was  subsequent  to  this  publication. 

Evans's  map  and  analysis,  being  the  best  extant,  served  as 
the  basis  of  the  published  materials  used  for  the  topographical 
guidance  of  General  Braddock  on  his  march  over  the  Alle- 
ghany mountains.  Washington,  himself  an  eminent  geogra- 
pher, was  present  in  that  memorable  march ;  and  so  judicious 
and  well  selected  were  its  movements,  through  defiles  and  over 
eminences,  found  to  be,  that  the  best  results  of  engineering 
skill,  when  the  commissioners  came  to  lay  out  the  great  Cum- 
berland road,  could  not  mend  them.  Such  continued  also  to 
be  the  basis  of  our  general  geographical  knowledge  of  the 
West,  at  the  period  of  the  final  capture  of  fort  Du  Quesne  by 
General  Forbes,  and  the  change  of  its  name  in  compliment  to 
the  eminent  British  statesman,  Pitt. 

The  massacre  of  the  British  garrison  of  Michilimackinac  in 
1763,  the  investment  of  the  fort  of  Detroit  in  the  same  year  by 
a  combined  force  of  Indian  tribes,  and  the  development  of  an 
extensive  conspiracy,  as  it  has  been  termed,  against  the  western 
British  posts  under  Pontiac,  constituted  a  new  feature  in  Ameri- 
can history  ;  and  the  military  expeditions  of  Cols.  Bouquet  and 
Bradstreet,  towards  the  West  and  North-west,  were  the  conse- 
quence. These  movements  became  the  means  of  a  more  perfect 
geographical  knowledge  respecting  the  West  than  had  before 
prevailed.  Hutchinson's  astronomical  observations,  which  were 
made  under  the  auspices  of  Bouquet,  fixed  accurately  many 
important  points  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  furnished  a 
framework  for  the  military  narrative  of  the  expedition.     In 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

fact,  the  triumphant  march  of  Bouquet  into  the  very  strong- 
holds of  the  Indians  west  of  the  Ohio,  first  brought  them 
effectually  to  terms ;  and  this  expedition  had  the  effect  to  open 
the  region  to  private  enterprise. 

The  defeat  of  the  Indians  by  Major  Gladwyn  at  Detroit  had 
tended  to  the  same  end  ;  and  the  more  formal  march  of  Colonel 
Bradstreet,  in  1764,  still  further  contributed  to  show  the  abo- 
rigines the  impossibility  of  their  recovering  the  rule  in  the 
West.  Both  these  expeditions,  at  distant  points,  had  a  very 
decided  tendency  to  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  geographical 
discovery  in  the  West,  and  to  stimulate  commercial  enterprise. 

The  Indian  trade  had  been  carried  to  fort  Pitt  the  very  year 
of  its  capture  by  the  English  forces ;  and  it  may  serve  to  give 
an  idea  of  the  commercial  daring  and  enterprise  of  the  colo- 
nists to  add,  that,  so  early  as  1766,  only  two  years  after  Bou- 
quet's expedition,  the  leading  house  of  Baynton,  Wharton  & 
Morgan,  of  Philadelphia,  had  carried  that  branch  of  trade 
through  the  immense  lines  of  forest  and  river  wilderness  to 
fort  Chartres,  the  military  capital  of  the  Illinois,  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi.* Its  fertile  lands  were  even  then  an  object  of  scarcely 
less  avidity. f  Mr.  Alexander  Henry  had,  even  a  year  or  two 
earlier,  carried  this  trade  to  Michilimackinac ;  and  the  English 
flag,  the  symbol  of  authority  with  the  tribes,  soon  began  to 
succeed  that  of  France,  far  and  wide.  The  Indians,  finding 
the  French  flag  had  really  been  struck  finally,  submitted,  and 
the  trade  soon  fell,  in  every  quarter,  into  English  hands. 

The  American  revolution,  beginning  within  ten  years  of  this 
time,  was  chiefly  confined  to  the  regions  east  of  the  Allegha- 
nies.  The  war  for  territory  west  of  this  line  was  principally 
carried  on  by  Virginia,  whose  royal  governors  had  more  than 
once  marched  to  maintain  her  chartered  rights  on  the  Ohio. 
Her  blood  had  often  freely  flowed  on  this  border,  and,  while 
the  great  and  vital  contest  still  raged  in  the  Atlantic  colonies, 
she  ceased  not  with  a  high  hand  to  defend  it,  attacked  as  it 
was  by  the  fiercest  and  most  deadly  onsets  of  the  Indians. 

*  MS.  Journal  of  Matthew  Clarkson,  in  the  possession  of  Wm.  Duane, 
Esq.,  Philadelphia. 
t  Ibid. 

2*  B 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

In  1780,  General  George  Rogers  Clark,  the  commander 
of  the  Virginia  forces,  visited  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio,  by  order  of  the  governor  of  Virginia,  for  the  purpose 
of  selecting  the  site  for  a  fort,  which  resulted  in  the  erection 
of  fort  Jefferson,  some  few  miles  (I  think)  below  the  influx  of 
the  Ohio,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  The  United 
States  were  then  in  the  fifth  year  of  the  war  of  independence. 
All  its  energies  were  taxed  to  the  utmost  extent  in  this  con- 
test ;  and  not  the  least  of  its  cares  arose  from  the  Indian  tribes 
who  hovered  with  deadly  hostility  on  its  western  borders.  It 
fell  to  the  lot  of  Clark,  who  was  a  man  of  the  greatest  energy 
of  character,  chivalric  courage,  and  sound  judgment,  to  capture 
the  posts  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes,  in  the  Illinois,  with 
inadequate  forces  at  his  command,  and  through  a  series  of 
almost  superhuman  toils.  And  we  are  indebted  to  these  con- 
quests for  the  enlarged  western  boundary  inserted  in  the  defi- 
nitive treaty  of  peace,  signed  at  Paris  in  1783.  Dr.  Franklin, 
who  was  the  ablest  geographer  among  the  commissioners,  made 
a  triumphant  use  of  these  conquests  ;  and  we  are  thus  indebted 
to  George  Rogers  Clark  for  the  acquisition  of  the  Mississippi 
valley. 

American  enterprise  in  exploring  the  country  may  be  said 
to  date  from  the  time  of  the  building  of  fort  Jefferson  ;  but  it 
was  not  till  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  in  1783,  that 
the  West  became  the  favorite  theatre  of  action  of  a  class  of 
bold,  energetic,  and  patriotic  men,  whose  biographies  would 
form  a  very  interesting  addition  to  our  literature.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  such  a  work  may  be  undertaken  and  completed 
before  the  materials  for  it,  are  beyond  our  reach.  How  nume- 
rous this  class  of  men  were,  and  how  quickly  they  were  followed 
by  a  hardy  and  enterprising  population,  who  pressed  westward 
from  the  Atlantic  borders,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that 
the  first  State  formed  west  of  the  Ohio  river,  required  but 
twenty  years  from  the  treaty  of  peace  for  its  complete  organi- 
zation. Local  histories  and  cyclical  memoirs  have  been  pub- 
lished in  some  parts  of  the  West,  which,  though  scarcely  known 
beyond  the  precincts  of  their  origin,  possess  their  chief  value 
as  affording  a  species  of  historical  material  for  this  investigation. 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

Pioneer  life  in  the  West  must,  indeed,  hereafter  constitute  a 
prolific  source  of  American  reminiscence ;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  any  comprehensive  work  on  the  subject  will 
be  effectively  undertaken,  while  any  of  this  noble  band  of 
public  benefactors  are  yet  on  the  stage  of  life. 

The  acquisition  of  Louisiana,  in  1803,  became  the  period 
from  which  may  be  dated  the  first  efforts  of  the  United  States' 
government  to  explore  the  public  domain.  The  great  extent 
of  the  territory  purchased  from  France,  stretching  west  to  the 
Pacific  ocean — its  unknown  boundaries  on  the  south,  west,  and 
north — and  the  importance  and  variety  of  its  reputed  resources, 
furnished  the  subjects  which  led  the  Executive,  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, to  direct  its  early  exploration.  The  expeditions  named 
of  Lewis  and  Clark  to  Oregon,  and  of  Pike  to  the  sources  of 
the  Mississippi,  were  the  consequence.  Pike  did  not  publish 
the  results  of  his  search  till  1810.  Owing  to  the  death  of 
Governor  Meriwether  Lewis,  a  still  greater  delay  attended  the 
publication  of  the  details  of  the  former  expedition,  which  did 
not  appear  till  1814.  No  books  had  been  before  published, 
which  diffused  so  much  local  geographical  knowledge.  The 
United  States  were  then  engaged  in  the  second  war  with  Great 
Britain,  during  which  the  hostility  of  the  western  tribes  pre- 
cluded explorations,  except  such  as  could  be  made  under  arms. 
The  treaty  of  Ghent  brought  the  belligerent  parties  to  terms ; 
but  the  intelligence  did  not  reach  the  country  in  season  to 
prevent  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  which  occurred  in  January 
1815. 

Letters  from  correspondents  in  the  West,  which  were  often 
published  by  the  diurnal  press,  and  the  lectures  of  Mr.  W. 
Darby  on  western  and  general  geography,  together  with  verbal 
accounts  and  local  publications,  now  poured  a  flood'  of  informa- 
tion respecting  the  fertility  and  resources  of  that  region,  and 
produced  an  extensive  current  of  emigration.  Thousands  were 
congregated  at  single  points,  waiting  to  embark  on  its  waters. 
The  successful  termination  of  the  war  had  taken  away  all  fear 
of  Indian  hostility.  The  tribes  had  suffered  a  total  defeat  at 
all  points,  their  great  leader  Tecumseh  had  fallen,  and  there 
was  no  longer  a  basis  for  any  new  combinations  to  oppose  the 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

advances  of  civilization.  Military  posts  were  erected  to  cover 
the  vast  line  of  frontiers  on  the  west  and  north,  and  thus  fully 
to  occupy  the  lines  originally  secured  by  the  treaty  of  1783. 
In  1816,  Mr.  J.  J.  Astor,  having  purchased  the  North-wesl 
Company's  posts,  lying  south  of  latitude  49°,  established  the 
central  point  of  his  trade  at  Michilimackinac.  A  military  post 
was  erected  by  the  government  at  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony^ 
and  another  at  Council  Bluffs  on  the  Missouri.  The  know- 
ledge of  the  geography  and  resources  of  the  western  country 
was  thus  practically  extended,  although  no  publication,  so  far 
as  I  am  aware,  was  made  on  this  subject. 

In  the  fall  of  1816,  I  determined  to  visit  the  Mississippi 
valley  —  a  resolution  which  brought  me  into  the  situations 
narrated  in  the  succeeding  volume.  In  the  three  ensuing 
years  I  visited  a  large  part  of  the  West,  and  explored  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  in  which  De  Soto 
alone,  I  believe,  had,  in  1542,  preceded  me.  My  first  publica- 
tion on  the  results  of  these  explorations  was  made  at  New 
York,  in  1819.  De  Witt  Clinton  was  then  on  the  stage  of 
action,  and  Mr.  Calhoun,  with  his  grasping  intellect,  directed 
the  energies  of  the  government  in  exploring  the  western  do- 
main, which,  he  foresaw,  as  he  told  me,  must  exercise  a  con- 
trolling influence  on  the  destinies  of  America. 

In  the  spring  of  1818,  Major  S.  H.  Long,  U.  S.  A.,  was 
selected  by  the  War  Office  to  explore  the  Missouri  as  high  as 
the  Yellowstone,  and,  accompanied  by  a  corps  of  naturalists 
from  Philadelphia,  set  out  from  Pittsburgh  in  a  small  steamer. 
The  results  of  this  expedition  were  in  the  highest  degree 
auspicious  to  our  knowledge  of  the  actual  topography  and 
natural  history  of  the  far  West,  and  mark  a  period  in  their 
progress.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Colonel  II.  Leavenworth 
was  directed  to  ascend  the  Mississippi,  and  establish  a  garrison 
at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's  or  Minnesota  river.  Early  in 
1820,  the  War  Department  directed  an  exploratory  expedition 
to  be  organized  at  Detroit,  under  the  direction  of  Lewis  Cass, 
Esq.,  Governor  of  Michigan  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of 
surveying  the  upper  lakes,  and  determining  the  area  at  the 
sources  of  the  Mississippi — its  physical  character,  topography, 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

and  Indian  population.  In  the  scientific  corps  of  this  expedi- 
tion, I  received  from  the  Secretary  of  War  the  situation  of 
mineralogist  and  geologist,  and  published  a  narrative  of  it. 
This  species  of  public  employment  was  repeated  in  1821, 
during  which  I  explored  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes,  and  the 
Wabash  and  Illinois ;  and  my  position  assumed  a  permanent 
form,  in  another  department  of  the  service,  in  1822,  when  I 
took  up  my  residence  in  the  great  area  of  the  upper  lakes. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  the  purposes  of  this  sketch  to  pursue 
these  details  further  than  to  say,  that  the  position  I  occupied 
was  favorable  to  the  investigation  of  the  mineral  constitution 
and  natural  history  of  the  country,  and  also  of  the  history, 
antiquities,  and  languages  and  customs,  of  the  Indian  tribes. 
For  a  series  of  years,  the  name  of  the  author  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  progress  of  discovery  and  research  on  these 
subjects.  Events  controlled  him  in  the  publication  of  separate 
volumes  of  travels,  some  of  which  were,  confessedly,  incom- 
plete in  their  character—  and  hasty  in  their  preparation. 
Had  he  never  trespassed  on  public  attention  in  this  manner, 
he  would  not  venture,  with  his  present  years,  and  more  ma- 
tured conceptions  of  a  species  of  labor,  where  the  difficulties 
are  very  great,  the  chances  of  applause  doubtful,  and  the 
rewards,  under  the  most  favorable  auspices,  very  slender.  As 
it  is,  there  is  a  natural  desire  that  what  has  been  done,  and 
may  be  quoted  when  he  has  left  this  feverish  scene  and  gone 
to  his  account,  should  be  put  in  the  least  exceptionable  form. 
Hence  the  revision  of  these  travels. 


,    INCIDENTS  OF  TEAYEL. 


CHAPTER   I. 

JUNCTION   OF   THE   OHIO   WITH    THE    MISSISSIPPI  —  DIFFICULTY   OF 
ASCENDING     THE    LATTER    WITH    A    BARGE  —  ITS     TURBID    AND 

RAPID     CHARACTER INCIDENTS    OF     THE    VOYAGE PHYSICAL 

IMPEDIMENTS  TO  ITS  NAVIGATION  —  FALLING-IN  BANKS  —  TIA- 
WAPATI  —  ANIMALS  —  FLOATING  T^EES  —  RIVER  AT  NIGHT  — 
NEEDLESS  AND  LAUGHABLE  ALARM — CHARACTER  OF  THE  SHORES 

> — MEN   GIVE   OUT — REACH   THE   FIRST   FAST   LANDS MINERAL 

PRODUCTS — CAPE  GIRARDEAU  —  MOCCASIN  SPRING — NON-POETIC 
GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES — GRAND  TOWER — STRUGGLE  TO  PASS 
CAPE   GARLIC. 

I  reached  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mississippi  on 
the  last  day  of  June,  1818,  with  feelings  somewhat  akin  to 
those  of  one  who  performs  a  pilgrimage ; — for  that  Algonquin 
name  of  Mississippi  had  been  floating  through  my  mind  ever 
since  boyhood,  as  if  it  had  been  invested  with  a  talismanic 
power. 

The  reading  of  books  of  geography,  however,  makes  but  a 
feeble  impression  on  the  mind,  compared  to  the  actual  objects. 
Born  on  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Hudson — a  stream  whose 
whole  length,  from  the  junction  of  the  Mohawk,  is  less  than 
two  hundred  miles  —  I  had  never  figured  to  myself  rivers  of 
such  magnificent  length  and  velocity.  I  had  now  followed 
down  the  Ohio,  in  all  its  windings,  one  thousand  miles ;  it  was 
not  only  the  longest,  but  the  most  beautiful  river  which  I  had 

(22) 


DESCENT    OF   THE   OHIO  23 

ever  seen ;  and  I  felt  something  like  regret  to  find  it  at  last 
swallowed  up,  as  it  were,  by  the  turbid  and  repulsive  Missis- 
sippi. The  latter  was  at  its  summer  flood,  and  rushed  by  like 
a  torrent,  which  seemed  to  be  overcharged  with  the  broken- 
down  materials  of  half  a  continent. 

De  Soto  had  been  the  first  European  to  gaze  upon  this  heady 
mass  of  waters,  urging  downward  everything  that  comes  within 
their  influence,  and  threatening  to  carry  even  their  own  banks 
into  the  gulf.  We  came,  in  a  large,  heavily-manned  barge,  to 
the  very  point  of  the  influx  of  the  Ohio,  where  Cairo  is  now 
located.  It  was  early  in  the  afternoon  ;  but  the  captain  of  our 
craft,  who  was  a  stout-hearted  fellow,  of  decision  of  character 
and  a  full-toned  voice,  deemed  it  best  to  come-to  here,  and  wait 
till  morning  to  grapple  with  the  Mississippi.  There  were  some 
old  arks  on  the  point,  which  had  been  landed  in  high  water, 
and  were  now  used  as  houses ;  but  I  retained  my  berth  in  the 
barge,  and,  after  looking  around  the  vicinity,  amused  myself 
by  angling  from  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  The  only  fish  I  caught 
was  a  gar — that  almost  single  variety  of  the  voracious  species 
in  these  waters,  which  has  a  long  bill,  with  sharp  teeth,  for 
arousing  its  prey,  apparently,  from  a  muddy  bottom.  The 
junction  of  two  such  streams  as  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi, 
exhibits  a  remarkable  struggle.  For  miles,  along  the  eastern 
shores  of  the  Mississippi,  the  clear  blue  waters  of  the  Ohio  are 
crowded  to  the  banks  ;  while  the  furious  current  of  the  former, 
like  some  monster,  finally  gulps  it  down,  though  the  mastery 
is  not  obtained,  I  am  told,  till  near  the  Chickasaw  bluffs. 

Early  in  the  morning  (1st  July),  the  voice  of  the  captain 
was  heard,  and  the  men  paraded  the  sides  of  the  deck,  with 
their  long  poles  shod  with  iron  ;  and  we  were  soon  in  the  gurg- 
ling, muddy  channel,  struggling  along  its  eastern  shore.  The 
men  plied  their  poles  with  the  skill  of  veterans,  planting  them 
as  near  the  margin  of  the  channel  as  possible,  and  placing  the 
head  of  the  pole  against  the  shoulder,  while  they  kept  their 
footing  by  means  of  slats  nailed  across  the  footway.  With 
every  exertion,  we  made  but  five  miles  the  first  day.  This 
slowness  of  ascent  was,  however,  very  favorable  to  observation. 
I  was  the  only  passenger  on  board,  except  two  adventurers 


24  ASCENDING   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

from  the  Youghioghany,  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  who  had 
freighted  the  barge,  and  were  in  the  position  of  supercargoes. 
Such  tugging  and  toiling  I  had  never  before  seen.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  no  set  of  men  could  long  stand  it.  The  current 
ran  as  if  it  were  charged  with  power  to  sweep  everything  down 
its  course.  Its  banks  were  not  proof  against  this  impetuosity, 
and  frequently  fell  in,  with  a  noise  and  power  which  threat- 
ened to  overwhelm  us.  This  danger  was  often  increased  by 
the  floating  trees,  which  had  fallen  into  the  stream  at  higher 
points.  And  when,  after  a  severe  day's  toil,  the  captain 
ordered  the  boat  to  be  moored  for  the  night,  we  felt  an  insecu- 
rity from  the  fear  that  the  bank  itself  might  prove  treacherous 
before  morning. 

Nothing  in  the  structure  of  the  country  appeared  to  present 
a  very  fixed  character.  The  banks  of  the  river  were  elevated 
from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  water,  and  consisted  of  a 
dark  alluvium,  bearing  a  dense  forest.  When  they  became 
too  precipitous,  which  was  an  indication  that  the  water  at  these 
points  was  too  deep  for  the  men  to  reach  bottom  with  their 
poles,  they  took  their  oars,  and  crossed  to  the  other  bank. 
When  night  came  on,  in  these  damp  alluvions,  and  darkness 
was  added  to  our  danger,  the  scene  was  indeed  gloomy.  I 
remember,  this  evening,  we  tried  most  perseveringly  to  drink 
our  tea  by  a  feeble  light,  which  appeared  to  be  a  signal  for  the 
collection  of  insects  far  and  near,  who,  by  their  numbers  and 
the  fierceness  of  their  attacks,  made  it  impossible  to  bring  our 
cups  to  our  mouths  without  stopping  to  brush  away  the  fierce 
and  greedy  hordes  of  musquitoes.  Amongst  the  growth,  cane 
and  cotton-wood  were  most  conspicuous. 

I  had  a  specimen  of  boatman  manners  to-day,  which  should 
not  certainly  be  a  subject  of  surprise,  considering  the  rough- 
and-ready  life  and  character  of  that  class.  Having  laid  down 
on  the  top  deck  of  the  barge  a  mineralogical  specimen  to  which 
I  attached  value,  and  gone  temporarily  away,  I  found,  on  my 
return,  that  it  had  been  knocked  to  pieces  by  one  of  the  men, 
who  acted,  probably,  like  the  boy  who  broke  the  fiddle,  "  to 
get  the  music  out"  of  it.  On  expressing  my  disapproval  of 
this,  to  one  who  evidently  had  not  the  most  distant  idea  of  the 


TEDIOUS   PROGRESS.  25 

scientific  value  of  "a  stone,"  he  made  some  trite  remark,  that 
"there  was  more  where  this  came  from,"  and  then,  stretching 
himself  up  at  his  full  length  of  six  feet,  with  sinews  which  had 
plainly  become  tense  and  hard  from  the  use  of  the  setting-pole, 
he  exclaimed,  "Help  yourself!" 

July  2d.  The  toils  of  this  day  were  similar  to  those  of  the 
last.  It  was  a  perpetual  struggle  to  overcome  the  force  of  the 
current  by  poles  placed  in  the  bed,  and,  when  that  became  too 
deep,  we  sought  for  shallower  shores.  We  encountered  the 
same  growth  of  trees  along  the  banks.  The  land  became  some- 
what more  elevated.  The  insects  were  in  such  hordes,  that  it 
was  amazing.  We  proceeded  but  about  six  miles  to-day,  and 
they  were  miles  of  incessant  toil.  » 

July  3d.  To  the  ordinary  dangers  and  efforts  of  this  day, 
were  added  the  frequent  occurrence  of  snags  and  sawyers,  or 
planters — terms  which  denote  some  of  the  peculiar  impediments 
of  Mississippi  navigation.  The  captain  of  our  craft,  who  was 
a  courageous  and  vigilant  man,  was  continually  on  the  look-out 
to  avoid  these  dangers,  and  put-to,  at  night,  at  the  foot  of  a 
large  cane-covered  island,  by  which  he  avoided,  in  some  mea- 
sure, the  sweep  of  the  current,  but  was  yet  in  jeopardy  from 
falling-in  banks.  He  requested  me,  in  this  exigency,  to  take 
a  pole,  and,  from  the  bow,  sound  for  bottom,  as  we  crossed  the 
river,  to  avoid  shoals.  This  I  did  successfully.  We  estimated 
our  ascent  this  day  at  seven  miles. 

July  4th.  The  perils  and  toils  of  the  crew  did  not  prevent 
their  remembrance  of  the  national  anniversary ;  and  the  cap- 
tain acknowledged  their  appeal  in  the  morning  by  an  extra 
measure  of  "  old  Monongahela."  We  then  set  forward  against 
the  wild,  raging  current.  From  the  appearance  of  the  wild 
turkey  and  large  grey  squirrel  ashore,  it  is  probable  that  we 
are  passing  out  of  the  inundated  region.  In  other  respects, 
the  face  of  the  country  and  its  productions  appear  the  same. 
After  ascending  about  six  miles,  when  the  time  approached  for 

looking  out  for  a  place  to  moor  for  the  night,  a  storm  of  wind 
3 


26  ASCENDING   THE    MISSISSIPPI. 

suddenly  arose,  which  dashed  the  water  into  the  barge.  We 
put  ashore  in  haste,  at  a  precipitous  bank  of  an  island,  which 
fell  in  during  the  night  very  near  to  us,  and  put  us  in  moment- 
ary peril.  To  leave  our  position  in  the  dark,  would  be  to  take 
the  risk  of  running  afoul  of  snags,  or  encountering  floating 
trees ;  but  as  early  as  the  light  appeared  on  the  morning  of 
the  5th,  we  left  the  spot  immediately,  crossing  to  the  western 
bank.  By  diligence  we  made  eight  miles  this  day,  which 
brought  us  to  the  first  settlement  at  Tiawapeta  bottom,  on  the 
Missouri  shore.  This  is  the  first  land  that  appears  sufficiently 
elevated  for  cultivation.  The  settlement  consists  of  six  or 
eight  farms,  where  corn,  flax,  hemp,  potatoes,  and  tobacco,  are 
abundantly  raised.  The  peach  and  apple-tree  also  thrive.  I 
observed  the  papaw  and  persimmon  among  the  wild  fruits. 

July  6th.  The  downward  movement  of  the  water,  and  its 
gurgling  and  rush  as  it  meets  with  obstacles,  is  very  audible 
after  the  barge  has  been  fastened  to  the  shore  for  the  night, 
when  its  fearful  impetuosity,  surcharged  as  it  is  with  floating 
wrecks  of  forest  life,  is  impressive  to  the  listener,  while  night 
has  thrown  her  dark  pall  over  the  scene. 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  oarsmen  and  polemen  were  at 
their  masculine  toils.  I  had  feared  that  such  intense  applica- 
tion of  muscle,  in  pushing  forward  the  boat,  would  exhaust 
their  strength  ;  and  we  had  not  gone  over  three  miles  this  day, 
when  we  were  obliged  to  lay-by  for  the  want  of  more  compe- 
tent hands.  The  complaining  men  were  promptly  paid,  and 
furnished  with  provisions  to  return.  While  detained  by  this 
circumstance,  we  were  passed  by  a  boat  of  similar  construction 
to  our  own,  laden  with  planks  from  Olean,  on  the  sources  of 
the  Alleghany  river,  in  New  York.  This  article  had  been 
transported  already  more  than  thirteen  hundred  miles,  on  its 
way  to  a  market  at  St.  Louis,  where  it  was  estimated  to  be 
worth  sixty  dollars  per  thousand  feet. 

While  moored  along  this  coast,  the  day  after  we  had  thus 
escaped  from  the  treacherous  island,  we  seemed  to  have  taken 
shelter  along  a  shore  infested  by  wild  beasts.  "Grizzly  bear!" 
was  the  cry  at  night.     We  were  all  alarmed  by  a  snorting  and 


LUDICROUS    ALARM.  27 

disturbance  at  the  water's  edge,  a  short  distance  below  us, 
which,  it  was  soon  evident,  proceeded  from  a  large,  light- 
colored,  and  furious  animal.  So  far,  all  agreed.  One  of  our 
Pennsylvanians,  who  had  a  choice  rifle,  prepared  himself  for 
the  attack.  The  captain,  who  had  no  lack  of  resolution,  and 
would,  at  any  rate,  have  become  bold  by  battling  the  Missis- 
sippi river  for  six  or  seven  days,  had  some  missiles ;  and  all 
prepared  to  be  useful  on  the  occasion.  As  I  carried  nothing 
more  deadly  than  a  silver  crucible  and  some  acids,  I  remained 
on  the  upper  deck  of  the  barge.  From  this  elevation  I  soon 
saw,  by  the  dim  moonlight,  the  whole  party  return,  without 
having  fired  a  gun.  It  turned  out  that  the  cause  of  this  un- 
usual disturbance  was  a  large  white  hog,  which  had  been  shot 
in  the  head  and  snout  with  swan-shot,  by  some  cruel  fellows, 
the  preceding  day,  and  came  at  night  to  mitigate  its  burning 
and  festering  wounds  by  bathing  in  the  river. 

Julv  7th.  Having  procured  some  additional  hands,  our 
invincible  captain  pressed  stoutly  forward,  and,  at  an  early 
hour,  we  reached  the  head  of  Tiawapeta  bottom,  where  a  short 
stop  was  made.  At  this  point,  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi  ap- 
pears to  be  crossed  by  a  chain  of  rocks,  which  oppose,  however, 
no  obstruction  to  its  navigation.  Such  masses  of  it  as  appear 
on  shore,  are  silico-carbonates  of  lime,  and  seem  to  belong  to 
the  metalliferous  system  of  Missouri.  About  half  a  mile  above 
the  commencement  of  this  chain,  I  observed,  at  the  foot  of  an 
elevation  near  the  water's  edge,  a  remarkable  stratum  of  white 
aluminous  earth,  of  a  rather  dry  and  friable  character,  resem- 
bling chalk,  and  which,  I  afterwards  observed,  was  extensively 
used  by  mechanics  in  Missouri  as  a  substitute  for  that  article. 
Masses,  and  in  some  instances  nodules,  of  hornstone,  resem- 
bling true  flint,  are  found  imbedded  in  it ;  yet  it  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  chalk  formation.  It  yields  no  effervescence 
with  nitric,  and  is  wholly  destitute  of  carbonic,  acid.  Portions 
of  the  stratum  are  colored  deeply  by  the  red  oxide  of  iron. 
Scattered  along  the  shores  of  the  river  at  this  place,  I  observed 
large,  angular  masses  of  pudding-stone,  consisting  chiefly  of 
silicious  pebbles  and  sand,  cemented  by  oxide  of  iron. 


4 


» 


28  ASCENDING   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

I  now  began  to  breathe  more  freely.  For  seven  day3  we 
had  been  passing  through  such  a  nascent  region,  down  which 
the  Mississippi  swept  at  so  furious  a  rate,  that  I  never  felt 
sure,  at  night,  that  I  should  behold  another  day.  Had  the 
barge,  any  day,  lost  her  heading  and  got  athwart  the  stream, 
nothing  could  have  prevented  the  water  from  rushing  over  her 
gunwales,  and  sweeping  her  to  destruction.  And  the  whole 
district  of  the  alluvial  banks  was  subject  to  be  momentarily 
undermined,  and  frequently  tumbled  in,  with  the  noise  and 
fury  of  an  avalanche,  threatening  destruction  to  whatever  was 
in  the  vicinity. 

Owing  to  the  increased  firmness  of  the  shore,  and  the  rein- 
forcement of  hands,  we  ascended  this  day  ten  miles.  We 
began  to  feel  in  better  spirits. 

July  8th.  The  calcareous  and  elevated  formation  of  rocks, 
covered  with  geological  drift,  continued  constantly  along  the 
Missouri  shore ;  for  it  was  this  shore,  and  not  the  Illinois  side, 
that  we  generally  hugged.  This  drift,  on  ascending  the  eleva- 
tions, consisted  of  a  hard  and  reddish  loam,  or  marly  clay, 
filled  with  pebble-stones  of  various  kinds,  and  fragments  and 
chips  of  hornstone,  chert,  common  jasper,  argillaceous  oxide 
of  iron,  radiated  quartz,  and  quartz  materials,  betokening  the 
disruption,  in  ancient  eras,  of  prior  formations.  The  trees 
observed  on  the  diluvial  elevations  were  oaks,  sassafras,  and, 
on  the  best  lands,  walnut,  but  of  sparse  growth ;  with  a  dense 
forest  of  cotton-wood,  sycamore,  and  elm,  on  the  alluvions.  On 
ascending  the  river  five  miles,  we  came  to  the  town  of  Cape 
Girardeau,  consisting  of  about  fifty  wooden  buildings  of  all 
sorts,  with  a  post-office  and  two  stores.  We  were  now  at  the 
computed  distance  of  fifty  miles  above  the  influx  of  the  Ohio. 
We  went  no  farther  that  day.  This  gave  me  an  opportunity 
to  explore  the  vicinity. 

I  had  not  yet  put  my  foot  ashore,  when  a  fellow-passenger 
brought  me  a  message  from  one  of  the  principal  merchants  of 
the  place,  desiring  me  to  call  at  his  store,  and  aid  him  in  the 
examination  of  some  drugs  and  medicines  which  he  had  newly 
received.     On  reaching  his  store,  I  was  politely  ushered  into 


CAPE    GIRARDEAU.  29 

a  back  room,  where  some  refreshments  were  handsomely  set 
out.  The  whole  thing  was,  in  fact,  designed  as  a  friendly  wel- 
come to  a  professional  man,  who  came  neither  to  sell  nor  buy, 
but  simply  to  inquire  into  the  resources  and  natural  history  of 
the  country.  At  this  trait  of  hospitality  and  appreciation  in 
a  stranger,  I  took  courage,  and  began  to  perceive  that  the 
West  might  be  relied,  on. 

I  found  the  town  of  Cape  Girardeau  situated  on  an  eleva- 
tion of  rich,  red,  marly  soil,  highly  charged  with  oxide  of  iron, 
which  is  characteristic  of  the  best  arable  soils  of  the  mine 
country.  This  soil  appears  to  be  very  readily  dissolved  in 
water,  and  carried  off  rapidly  by  rains,  which  furnishes  a  solu- 
tion to  the  deep  gulfs  and  gorges  that  disfigure  many  parts  of 
the  cultivated  high  grounds.  If  such  places  were  sown  with 
the  seeds  of  grass,  it  would  give  fixity  to  the  soil,  and  add 
much  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape.  ■"    4 

* 

July  9th.  We  resumed  our  journey  up  the  rapid  stream 
betimes,  but,  with  every  exertion,  ascended  only  seven  miles. 
The  river,  in  this  distance,  preserves  its  general  character  ;  the 
Missouri  shores  being  rocky  and  elevated,  while  the  vast  allu- 
vial tracts  of  the  Illinois  banks  spread  out  in  densely  wooded 
bottoms.  But,  while  the  Missouri  shores  create  the  idea  of 
greater  security  by  their  fixity,  and  freedom  from  treacherous 
alluvions,  this  very  fixity  of  rocky  banks  creates  jets  of  strong 
currents,  setting  around  points,  which  require  the  greatest 
exertions  of  the  bargemen  to  overcome.  To  aid  them  in  these 
exigencies,  the  cordclle  is  employed.  This  consists  of  a  stout 
rope  fastened  to  a  block  in  the  bow  of  the  barge,  which  is  then 
passed  over  the  shoulders  of  the  men,  who  each  at  the  same 
time  grasp  it,  and  lean  hard  forward. 

July  10th.  To  me,  the  tardiness  of  our  ascent,  after  reach- 
ing the  rock  formations,  was  extremely  favorable,  as  it  facili- 
tated my  examinations.  Every  day  the  mineralogy  of  the 
western  banks  became  more  interesting,  and  I  was  enabled 
daily  to  add  something  to  my  collection.  This  day,  I  picked 
up  a  large  fragment  of  the  pseudo  pumice  which  ia  brought 
3* 


30  ASCENDING   TIIE   MISSISSIPPI. 

down  the  Missouri  by  its  summer  freshets.  This  mineral 
appears  to  have  been  completely  melted ;  and  its  superficies  is 
so  much  enlarged  by  vesicles  filled  with  air,  and  its  specific 
gravity  thereby  so  much  reduced,  as  to  permit  it  to  float  in 
water.  We  encamped  this  evening,  after  an  ascent  of  seven 
miles,  at  a  spot  called  the  Moccasin  Spring,  which  is  contained 
in  a  crevice  in  a  depressed  part  of  the  limestone  formation. 

July  11th.  This  day  was  signalized  by  our  being  passed  by 
a  small  steamer  of  forty  tons  burden,  called  the  Harriet,  laden 
with  merchandise  for  St.  Louis.  Viewed  from  our  stand-point, 
she  seemed  often  nearly  stationary,  and  sometimes  receded,  in 
her  efforts  to  stem  the  fierce  current ;  but  she  finally  ascended, 
slowly  and  with  labor.  The  pressure  of  the  stream,  before 
mentioned,  against  the  rocky  barrier  of  the  western  banks, 
was  found,  to-day,  to  be  very  strong.  With  much  ado,  with 
poles  and  cordelle,  we  made  but  five  miles. 

July  12th.  We  passed  the  mouth  of  Great  Muddy  river, 
on  the  Illinois  shore,  this  morning.  This  stream,  it  is  said, 
affords  valuable  beds  of  coal.  The  name  of  the  river  does  not 
appear  to  be  very  poetic,  nor  very  characteristic,  in  a  region 
where  every  tributary  stream  is  muddy ;  the  Mississippi  itself 
being  muddy  above  all  others.  But,  thanks  to  the  Indians, 
they  have  not  embodied  that  idea  in  the  name  of  the  Father 
of  rivers ;  its  greatness,  with  them,  being  justly  deemed  by 
far  its  most  characteristic  trait. 

About  two  miles  above  this  locality,  we  came  to  one  of  the 
geological  wonders  of  the  Mississippi,  called  the  Grand  Tower. 
It  is  a  pile  of  limestone  rocks,  rising  precipitously  from  the 
bed  of  the  river  in  a  circular  form,  resembling  a  massive  castle. 
The  height  of  this  geological  monument  may  be  about  one 
hundred  feet.  It  is  capped  by  some  straggling  cedars,  which 
have  caught  a  footing  in  the  crevices.  It  might,  with  as  much 
propriety  as  one  of  the  Alps,  be  called  the  Jungfrau  (Virgin) ; 
for  it  seems  impossible  that  any  human  being  should  ever  have 
ascended  it.  The  main  channel  of  the  river  passes  east  of  it. 
There  is  a  narrower  channel  on  the  west,  which  is  apparently 


CAPE   GARLIC.  31 

more  dangerous.  We  crossed  the  river  below  this  isolated 
cliff,  and  landed  at  some  cavernous  rocks  on  the  Illinois  side, 
which  the  boatmen,  with  the  usual  propensity  of  unlettered 
men,  called  the  Devil's  Oven.  We  then  recrossed  the  river, 
and,  after  ascending  a  distance  along  the  western  shore,  were 
repulsed  in  an  attempt,  with  the  cordelle,  to  pass  Garlic  Point. 
The  captain  then  made  elaborate  preparations  for  a  second 
attempt,  but  again  failed.  A  third  effort,  with  all  our  appli- 
ances, was  resolved  on,  but  with  no  better  success ;  and  we 
came-to,  finally,  for  the  night,  in  an  eddy  below  the  point, 
having  advanced,  during  the  day,  seven  miles.  If  we  did  not 
make  rapid  progress,  I  had  good  opportunities  of  seeing  the 
country,  and  of  contemplating  this  majestic  river  in  one  of  its 
most  characteristic  phases  —  namely,  its  summer  flood.  I 
pleased  myself  by  fancying,  as  I  gazed  upon  its  rushing  eddies 
of  mud  and  turbid  matter,  that  I  at  least  beheld  a  part  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  passing  along  in  the  liquid  state  !  It  was 
a  sight  that  would  have  delighted  the  eyes  of  Hutton ;  for 
methinks  the  quantity  of  detritus  and  broken-down  strata 
would  not  have  required,  in  his  mind,  many  cycles  to  upbuild 
a  continent. 

Mountains  to  chaos  are  by  waters  hurled, 
And  re-create  the  geologic  world. 


CHAPTER   II. 

J»ASS   CAPE   GARLIC — OBRAZO   RIVER — CLIFFS  —  EMIGRANTS  —  CAPE 

*  ST.  COMB— BOIS  BRULE   BOTTOM PAROQUET FORT    CHARTRES 

KASKASKIA ST.    GENEVIEVE M.    BRETON THE    MISSISSIPPI 

DEFICIENT    IN    FISH ANTIQUITIES GEOLOGY — STEAMER HER- 

CULANEUM — M.  AUSTIN,  ESQ.,  THE  PIONEER  TO  TEXAS — JOURNEY 

ON     FOOT    TO     ST.    LOUIS MISADVENTURES    ON     THE     MARAMEC 

— ITS   INDIAN    NAME CARONDELET ST.  LOUIS,  ITS    FINE    SITE 

AND    PROBABLE    FUTURE    IMPORTANCE ST.    LOUIS    MOUNDS    NOT 

ARTIFICIAL  —  DOWNWARD    PRESSURE    OF    THE    DILUVIAL    DRIFT 
OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

July  13th.  We  renewed  the  attempt  to  pass  Cape  Garlic 
at  an  early  hour,  and  succeeded  after  a  protracted  and  severe 
trial.  But  two  of  our  best  men  immediately  declared  their 
unwillingness  to  proceed  farther  in  these  severe  labors,  in  which 
they  were  obliged  to  pull  like  oxen ;  and  they  were  promptly 
paid  off  by  the  captain,  and  permitted  to  return.  The  crew, 
thus  diminished,  went  on  a  short  distance  further  with  the 
barge,  and  came-to  at  the  mouth  of  the  Obrazo  river,  to  await 
the  effort  of  our  commander  to  procure  additional  hands.  We 
had  not  now  advanced  more  than  two  miles,  which  constituted 
the  sum  of  this  day's  progress.  While  moored  here,  we  were 
passed  by  four  boats  filled  with  emigrants  from  Vermont  and 
Western  New  York,  destined  for  Boon's  Lick,  on  the  Missouri. 
I  embraced  the  occasion  of  this  delay  to  make  some  excursions 
in  the  vicinity. 

July  14th.  Having  been  successful  in  obtaining  a  reinforce- 
ment of  hands  from  the  interior,  we  pursued  the  ascent,  and 
made  six  miles  along  the  Missouri  shore.     The  next  day  (15th) 

(32) 


EMIGRANTS.  33 

( 

we  ascended  seven  miles.  This  leisurely  tracing  of  the  coast 
revealed  to  me  some  of  the  minutest  features  of  its  geological 
structure.  The  cliffs  consist  of  horizontal  strata  of  limestone, 
resting  on  granular  crystalline  sandstone.  Nothing  can  equal 
the  beauty  of  the  varying  landscape  presented  for  the  last  two 
days.  There  has  appeared  a  succession  of  the  most  novel  and 
interesting  objects.  Whatever  pleasure  can  be  derived  from 
the  contemplation  of  natural  objects,  presented  in  surprising 
and  picturesque  groups,  can  here  be  enjoyed  in  the  highest 
degree.  Even  art  may  be  challenged  to  contrast,  with  more 
effect,  the  bleak  and  rugged  cliff  with  the  verdant  forest,  the 
cultivated  field,  or  the  wide-extended  surface  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, interspersed  with  its  beautiful  islands,  and  winding 
majestically  through  a  country,  which  only  requires  the  im- 
provements of  civilized  and  refined  society,  to  render  it  one 
of  the  most  delightful  residences  of  man.  Nor  is  it  possible  to 
contemplate  the  vast  extent,  fertility,  resources,  and  increasing 
population  of  this  immeasurable  valley,  without  feeling  a  desire 
that  our  lives  could  be  prolonged  to  an  unusual  period,  that 
we  might  survey,  an  hundred  years  hence,  the  improved  social 
and  political  condition  of  the  country,  and  live  to  participate 
in  its  advantages,  improvements,  and  power. 

All  the  emigrants  whom  we  have  passed  seem  to  be  buoyed 
up  by  a  hopeful  and  enterprising  character ;  and,  although 
most  of  them  are  manifestly  from  the  poorest  classes,  and  are 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  miles  on  their  adventurous 
search  for  a  new  home,  from  none  have  I  heard  a  word  of 
despondency. 

July  16th.  I  observed  to-day,  at  Cape  St.  Comb,  large 
angular  fragments  of  a  species  of  coarse  granular  sandstone 
rock,  which  appear  to  be  disjecta  membra  of  a  much  more 
recent  formation  than  that  underlying  the  prevalent  surface 
formation. 

The  gay  and  noisy  paroquet  was  frequently  seen,  this  day, 
wheeling  in  flocks  over  the  river ;  and  at  one  point,  which  was 
revealed  suddenly,  we  beheld  a  large  flock  of  pelicans  standing 
along  a   low,   sandy  peninsula.     Either  the   current,   during 

C 


34  ASCENT   OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

to-day's  voyage,  was  less  furious,  or  the  bargemen  exerted 
more  strength  or  skill ;  for  we  ascended  ten  miles,  and  en- 
camped at  the  foot  of  Bois  Brule  (Burnt-wood)  bottom.  The 
term  "bottom"  is  applied,  in  the  West,  to  extensive  tracts  of 
level  and  arable  alluvial  soil,  whether  covered  by,  or  denuded 
of,  native  forest  trees.  We  found  it  the  commencement  of  a 
comparatively  populous  and  flourishing  settlement,  having  on 
the  next  day  (17th)  passed  along  its  margin  for  seven  miles. 
Its  entire  length  is  twelve  miles. 

July  18th.  The  most  prominent  incidents  of  this  day  were 
the  passing,  on  the  Illinois  shore,  of  the  celebrated  site  of  fort 
Chartres,  and  the  influx  of  the  Kaskaskia  (or,  as  it  is  abbre- 
viated by  the  men,  Ocaiv  or  Caiv)  river — a  large  stream  on  the 
eastern  shore.  These  names  will  recall  some  of  the  earliest 
and  most  stirring  scenes  of  Illinois  history.  The  town  of 
Kaskaskia,  which  is  the  present  seat  of  the  territorial  govern- 
ment, is  seated  seven  miles  above  its  mouth. 

Fort  Chartres  is  now  a  ruin,  and,  owing  to  the  capricious 
channel  of  the  Mississippi,  is  rapidly  tumbling  into  it.  It  had 
been  a  regular  work,  built  of  stone,  according  to  the  principles 
of  military  art.  Its  walls  formerly  contained  not  only  the  chief 
element  of  military  power  in  French  Illinois,  but  also  sheltered 
the  ecclesiastics  and  traders  of  the  time.  In  an  old  manuscript 
journal  of  that  fort  which  I  have  seen,  a  singular  custom  of  the 
Osages  is  mentioned,  on  the  authority  of  one  Mons.  Jeredot. 
He  says  (Dec.  22,  1766)  that  they  have  a  feast,  which  they 
generally  celebrate  about  the  month  of  March,  when  they 
bake  a  large  (corn)  cake  of  about  three  or  four  feet  diameter, 
and  of  two  or  three  inches  thickness.  This  is  cut  into  pieces, 
from  the  centre  to  the  circumference ;  and  the  principal  chief 
or  warrior  arises  and  advances  to  the  cake,  when  he  declares 
his  valor,  and  recounts  his  noble  actions.  If  he  is  not  contra- 
dicted, or  none  has  aught  to  allege  against  him,  he  takes  a 
piece  of  the  cake,  and  distributes  it  among  the  boys  of  the 
nation,  repeating  to  them  his  noble  exploits,  and  exhorting 
them  to  imitate  them.  Another  then  approaches,  and  in  the 
same  manner  recounts  his  achievements,  and  proceeds  as  be- 


PONTIAC.  35 

fore.  Should  any  one  attempt  to  take  of  the  cake,  to  whose 
character  there  is  the  least  exception,  he  is  stigmatized  and 
set  aside  as  a  poltroon. 

It  is  said  by  some  of  the  oldest  and  most  intelligent  inhabit- 
ants of  St.  Louis,  that  about  17G8,  when  the  British  had 
obtained  possession  of  fort  Chartres,  a  very  nefarious  transac- 
tion took  place  in  that  vicinity,  in  the  assassination  of  the 
celebrated  Indian  chief  Pontiac.  Tradition  tells  us  that  this 
man  had  exercised  great  influence  in  the  North  and  West,  and 
that  he  resisted  the  transfer  of  authority  from  the  French  to 
the  English,  on  the  fall  of  Canada.  Carver  has  a  story  on 
this  subject,  detailing  the  siege  of  Detroit  in  1763,  which  has 
been  generally  read.  The  version  of  Pontiac's  death  in  Illi- 
nois, is  this :  — While  encamped  in  this  vicinity,  an  Illinois 
Indian,  who  had  given  in  his  adherence  to  the  new  dynasty 
of  the  English,  was  hired  by  the  promise  of  rum,  by  some 
English  traders,  to  assassinate  the  chief,  while  the  latter  was 
reposing  on  his  pallet  at  night,  still  vainly  dreaming,  perhaps, 
of  driving  the  English  out  of  America,  and  of  restoring  his 
favorite  Indo-Gallic  empire  in  the  West. 

July  19th.  We  ascended  the  Mississippi  seven  miles  yester- 
day, to  which,  by  all  appliances,  we  added  eleven  miles  to-day, 
which  is  our  maximum  ascent  in  one  day.  Five  miles  of  this 
distance,  along  the  Missouri  shore,  consists  of  the  great  public 
field  of  St.  Genevieve.  This  field  is  a  monument  of  early 
French  policy  in  the  days  of  Indian  supremacy,  when  the  agri- 
cultural population  of  a  village  was  brought  to  labor  in  prox- 
imity, so  that  any  sudden  and  capricious  attack  of  the  natives 
could  be  effectively  repelled.  We  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Gabarie,  a  small  stream  which  passes  through  the  town.  St. 
Genevieve  lies  on  higher  ground,  above  the  reach  of  the  inun- 
dations, about  a  mile  west  of  the  landing.  It  consists  of  some 
three  hundred  wooden  houses,  including  several  stores,  a  post- 
office,  court-house,  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  a  branch  of 
the  Missouri  Bank,  having  a  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
The  town  is  one  of  the  principal  markets  and  places  of  ship- 
ment for  the  Missouri  lead-mines.     Heavy  stacks  of  lead  in 


36  ST.  GENEVIEVE. 

pigs,  are  one  of  the  chief  characteristics  which  I  saw  in,  and 
often  piled  up  in  front  of,  its  storehouses  ;  and  they  give  one 
the  idea  of  a  considerable  export  in  this  article. 

July  20th.  I  devoted  this  day  to  a  reconnoissance  of  St. 
Genevieve  and  its  environs.  The  style  of  building  reminds 
one  of  the  ancient  Belgic  and  Dutch  settlements  on  the  banks 
of  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk — high-pointed  roofs  to  low  one- 
story-buildings,  and  large  stone  chimneys  out-doors.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  and  the  whole  village  as  compact  as  if  built 
to  sustain  a  siege.  The  water  of  the  Mississippi  is  falling 
rapidly,  and  leaves  on  the  shores  a  deposit  of  mud,  varying 
from  a  foot  to  two  feet  in  depth.  This  recent  deposit  appears 
to  consist  essentially,  of  silex  and  alumine,  in  a  state  of  very 
intimate  mixture.  An  opinion  is  prevalent  throughout  this 
country,  that  the  water  of  the  Mississippi,  with  every  impu- 
rity, is  healthful  as  a  common  drink;  and  accordingly  the 
boatmen,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  make  use  of  no  other  water.  An  expedient  resorted  to 
at  first,  perhaps,  from  necessity,  may  be  continued  from  an 
impression  of  the  benefits  resulting  from  it.  I  am  not  well 
enough  acquainted  with  the  chemical  properties  of  the  water, 
or  the  method  in  which  it  operates  on  the  human  system,  to 
deny  its  utility ;  but,  to  my  palate,  clear  spring-water  is  far 
preferable.  A  simple  method  is  pursued  for  clarifying  it:  a 
handful  of  Indian  meal  is  sprinkled  on  the  surface  of  a  vessel 
of  water,  precipitating  the  mud  to  the  bottom,  and  the  super- 
incumbent water  is  left  in  a  tolerable  state  of  purity. 

July  21  st.  We  again  set  forward  this  morning.  On  ascend- 
ing three  miles,  we  came  to  Little  Kock  ferry— a  noted  point 
of  crossing  from  the  east  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
most  remarkable  incident  in  the  history  of  this  place  is  the 
residence  of  an  old  French  soldier,  of  an  age  gone  by,  who 
has  left  his  name  in  the  geography  of  the  surrounding  country. 
M.  Breton,  the  person  alluded  to,  is  stated  to  be,  at  this  time, 
one  hundred  and  nine  years  of  age.  Tradition  says  that  he 
was  at  Braddock's  defeat — at  the  siege  of  Louisbourg — at  the 


INDIAN   ANTIQUITIES.  37 

building  of  fort  Chartres,  in  the  Illinois — and  at  the  siege  of 
Bergen-op-Zoom,  in  Flanders.  While  wandering  as  a  hunter, 
after  his  military  services  had  ended,  in  the  country  about 
forty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  he  discovered  the  extensive 
lead-mines  which  continue  to  bear  his  name. 

We  ascended  this  day  twelve  miles,  which  is  the  utmost 
stretch  of  our  exertions  against  the  turbid  and  heavy  tide  of 
this  stream.  Our  captain  (Ensminger)  looked  in  the  evening 
as  if  he  had  been  struggling  all  day  in  a  battle,  and  his  men 
took  to  their  pallets  as  if  exhausted  to  the  last  degree. 

July  22d.  I  have  seen  very  little,  thus  far,  in  the  Missis- 
sippi, in  the  shape  of  fish.  The  only  species  noticed  has  been 
the  gar ;  one  of  which  I  caught,  as  described,  from  the  side  of 
the  boat,  while  lying  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  Of  all  rivers 
in  the  West,  I  should  think  it  the  least  favorable  to  this  form 
of  organized  matter.  Of  the  coarse  species  of  the  catfish  and 
buffalo-fish  which  are  found  in  its  waters,  I  suppose  the  freshet 
has  deprived  us  of  a  sight. 

Of  antiquities,  I  have  seen  nothing  since  leaving  the  Ohio 
valley  till  this  day,  when  I  picked  up,  in  my  rambles  on  shore, 
an  ancient  Indian  dart,  of  chert.  The  Indian  anticpuities  on 
the  Illinois  shore,  however,  are  stated  to  be  very  extensive. 
Near  the  Kaskaskia  river  are  numerous  mounds  and  earth- 
works, which  denote  a  heavy  ancient  population. 

The  limestone  cliffs,  at  the  place  called  Dormant  Rocks, 
assume  a  very  imposing  appearance.  These  precipitous  walls 
bear  the  marks  of  attrition  in  water-lines,  very  plainly  im- 
pressed, at  great  heights  above  the  present  water-level ;  creat- 
ing the  idea  that  they  may  have  served  as  barriers  to  some 
ancient  ocean  resting  on  the  grand  prairies  of  Illinois. 

We  were  passed,  near  evening,  by  the  little  steamer  Harriet, 
on  her  descent  from  St.  Louis.  This  vessel  is  the  same  that 
was  noticed  on  the  11th,  on  her  ascent,  and  is  the  only  repre- 
sentative of  steam-power  that  we  have  observed.*  Our  ascent 
this  day  was  estimated  at  thirteen  miles. 

*  I  found  fifty  steamers  of  all  sizes  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributa- 
ries, of  which  a  list  is  published  in  the  Appendix. 

4 

\ 


38  JOURNEY   ON   FOOT. 

July  23d.  Passing  the  Flatten  creek,  the  prominence  called 
Cornice  Hock,  and  the  promontory  of  Joachim  creek,  an  ascent 
of  five  miles  brought  us  to  the  town  of  Herculaneum.  This 
name  of  a  Roman  city  buried  for  ages,  gives,  at  least,  a  moral 
savor  of  antiquity  to  a  country  whose  institutions  are  all  new 
and  nascent.  It  was  bestowed,  I  believe,  by  Mr.  Austin,  who 
is  one  of  the  principal  proprietors  of  the  place.  It  consists 
of  between  thirty  and  forty  houses,  including  three  stores,  a 
post-office,  court-house,  and  school.  There  are  three  shot- 
towers  on  the  adjoining  cliffs,  and  some  mills,  with  a  tan-yard 
and  a  distillery,  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  also  a  mart  for  the  lead- 
mine  country. 

I  had  now  ascended  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  the 
junction  of  the  Ohio.  This  had  required  over  twenty-two 
days,  which  gives  an  average  ascent  of  between  seven  and 
eight  miles  per  day,  and  sufficiently  denotes  the  difficulty  of 
propelling  boats  up  this  stream  by  manual  labor. 

At  Herculaneum  I  was  introduced  to  M.  Austin,  Esq.  —  a 
gentleman  who  had  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  mining 
business  while  the  country  was  yet  under  Spanish  jurisdiction, 
and  who  was  favorably  known,  a  few  years  after,  as  the  prime 
mover  of  the  incipient  steps  to  colonize  Texas.  Verbal  inform- 
ation, from  him  and  others,  appeared  to  make  this  a  favorable 
point  from  which  to  proceed  into  the  interior,  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  its  mineral  structure  and  peculiarities.  I  there- 
fore determined  to  leave  my  baggage  here  until  I  had  visited 
the  territorial  capital,  St.  Louis.  This  was  still  thirty  miles 
distant,  and,  after  making  the  necessary  preparations,  I  set 
out,  on  the  26th  of  the  month,  on  foot.  In  this  journey  I  was 
joined  by  my  two  compagnons  de  voyage  from  Pennsylvania 
and  Maryland.  We  began  our  march  at  an  early  hour.  The 
summer  had  now  assumed  all  its  fervor,  and  power  of  relaxa- 
tion and  lassitude  on  the  muscles  of  northern  constitutions. 
We  set  out  on  foot  early,  but,  as  the  day  advanced,  the  sun 
beat  down  powerfully,  and  the  air  seemed  to  owe  all  its  pater- 
nity to  tropical  regions.  It  was  in  vain  we  reached  the  summit 
/  land.  There  was  no  breeze,  and  the  forest  trees  were  too  few 
and  widely  scattered  to  afford  any  appreciable  shade. 


THE   MARAMEC   RIVER.  39 

The  soil  of  the  Missouri  uplands  appears  to  possess  a  uni- 
form character,  although  it  is  better  developed  in  some  localities 
than  in  others.  It  is  the  red  mineral  clay,  which,  in  some  of 
its  conditions,  yields  beds  of  galena  throughout  the  mine  coun- 
try, bearing  fragments  of  quartz  in  some  of  its  numerous 
varieties.  In  these  uplands,  its  character  is  not  so  well  marked 
as  in  the  districts  further  west ;  geologically  considered,  how- 
ever, it  is  identical  in  age  and  relative  position.  The  gullied, 
character  of  the  soil,  and  its  liability  to  crumble  under  the 
effect  of  rain,  and  to  be  carried  off,  which  was  first  noticed  at 
Cape  Girardeau,  is  observed  along  this  portion  of  the  river, 
and  is  most  obvious  in  the  gulfy  state  of  the  roads. 

What  added  greatly  to  our  fatigue  in  crossing  this  tract,  was 
the  having  taken  a  too  westerly  path,  which  gave  us  a  round- 
about tramp.  On  returning  to  the  main  track,  we  forded  Cold 
river,  a  rapid  and  clear  brook ;  a  little  beyond  which,  we 
reached  a  fine,  large,  crystal  spring,  the  waters  of  which  bub- 
bled up  briskly  and  bright,  and  ran  off  from  their  point  of 
outbreak  to  the  river  we  had  just  crossed,  leaving  a  white 
deposit  of  sulphur.  The  water  is  pretty  strongly  impregnated 
with  this  mineral,  and  is  supposed  to  have  a  beneficial  effect 
in  bilious  complaints.  The  scenery  in  the  vicinity  of  the  spring 
is  highly  picturesque,  and  the  place  is  capable  of  being  made 
a  delightful  resort. 

Five  miles  more  brought  us  to  the  banks  of  the  Maramec 
river,  where  we  arrived  at  dark,  and  prevailed  with  the  ferry- 
man to  take  us  across,  notwithstanding  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  and  the  rain,  which,  after  having  threatened  a  shower 
all  the  afternoon,  now  began  to  fall.  The  Maramec  is  the 
principal  stream  of  the  mine  country,  and  is  the  recipient  of 
affluents,  spreading  over  a  large  area.  The  aboriginal  name 
of  this  stream,  Mr.  Austin  informed  me,  should  be  written 
"Marameg."  The  ferryman  seemed  in  no  hurry  to  put  us 
over  this  wide  river,  at  so  late  an  hour,  and  with  so  portentous 
a  sky  as  hung  over  us,  threatening  every  moment  to  pour  down 
floods  upon  us.  By  the  time  we  had  descended  from  his  house 
into  the  valley,  and  he  had  put  us  across  to  the  opposite  shore, 
it  was  dark.     We  took  his  directions  for  finding  the  house  at 


-*. 


/ 


40  AN    UNPLEASANT   PREDICAMENT. 

which  we  expected  to  lodge ;  but  it  soon  became  so  intensely 
dark,  that  Ave  pursued  a  wrong  track,  which  led  us  away  from 
the  shelter  Ave  sought.  Satisfied  at  length  that  we  had  erred, 
we  knew  not  what  to  do.  It  then  began  to  pour  down  rain. 
"We  groped  about  a  while,  but  finally  stood  still.  In  this  posi- 
tion, we  had  not  remained  long,  when  the  faint  tinkling  of  a 
cow-bell,  repeated  leisurely,  as  if  the  animal  were  housed,  fell 
on  our  ears.  The  direction  of  the  sound  was  contrary  to  that 
we  had  been  taking ;  but  we  determined  to  grope  our  way 
cautiously  toward  it,  guided  at  intervals  by  flashes  of  lightning 
which  lit  up  the  woods,  and  standing  still  in  the  meanwhile  to 
listen.  At  length  we  came  to  a  fence.  This  was  a  guide, 
and  by  keeping  along  one  side  of  it,  it  led  us  to  the  house  of 
which  we  were  in  search.  We  found  that,  deducting  our  mis- 
adventure in  the  morning,  we  had  advanced  on  our  way, 
directly,  but  about  fifteen  miles. 

July  27th.  We  were  again  on  our  path  at  a  seasonable 
hour,  and  soon  passed  out  of  the  fertile  and  heavily  timbered 
valley  of  the  Maramec.  There  now  commenced  a  gentle  ridge, 
running  parallel  to  the  Mississippi  river  for  twelve  miles. 
In  this  distance  there  was  not  a  single  house,  nor  any  trace 
that  man  had  bestowed  any  permanent  labor.  It  was  sparsely 
covered  with  oaks,  standing  at  long  distances  apart,  with  the 
intervening  spaces  profusely  covered  with  prairie  grass  and 
flowers.  We  frequently  saw  the  deer  bounding  before  us  ;  and 
the  views,  in  which  we  sometimes  caught  glimpses  of  the  river, 
were  of  a  highly  sylvan  character.  But  the  heat  of  the  day 
was  intense,  and  we  sweltered  beneath  it.  About  half-way,  we 
encountered  a  standing  spring,  in  a  sort  of  open  cavern  at  the 
foot  of  a  hill,  and  stooped  down  and  drank.  We  then  went 
on,  still  "  faint  and  wearily,"  to  the  old  French  village  of  Ca- 
rondelet,  which  bears  the  soubriquet  of  Vede-pouche  (empty 
sack).  It  contains  about  sixty  wooden  buildings,  arranged 
mostly  in  a  single  street.     Here  we  took  breakfast. 

Being  now  within  six  miles  of  the  place  of  our  destination, 
and  recruited  and  refreshed,  we  pushed  on  with  more  alacrity. 
The  first  three  miles  led  through  a  kind  of  brushy  heath,  which 


\ 


ST.   LOUIS.  41 

had  the  appearance  of  having  once  been  covered  with  large  trees 
that  had  all  been  cut  away  for  firing,  with  here  and  there  a  dry 
trunk,  denuded  and  white,  looking  like  ghosts  of  a  departed 
forest.  Patches  of  cultivation,  with  a  few  buildings,  then 
supervened.  These  tokens  of  a  better  state  of  things  increased 
in  frequency  and  value  till  we  reached  the  skirts  of  the  town, 
which  we  entered  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

St.  Louis  impressed  me  as  a  geographical  position  of  super- 
lative advantages  for  a  city.  It  now  contains  about  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  houses,  and  five  thousand  inhabitants.  It  has 
forty  stores,  a  post-office,  a  land-office,  two  chartered  banks,  a 
court-house,  jail,  theatre,  three  churches,  one  brewery,  two  dis- 
tilleries, two  water-mills,  a  steam  flouring-mill,  and  other 
improvements.  These  elements  of  prosperity  are  but  indica- 
tions of  what  it  is  destined  to  become.  The  site  is  unsurpassed 
for  its  beauty  and  permanency ;  a  limestone  formation  rising 
from  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi,  and  extending  gradually  to 
the  upper  plain.  It  is  in  north  latitude  38°  36',  nearly  equi- 
distant from  the  Alleghany  and  the  Rocky  mountains.  It  is 
twelve  hundred  miles  above  New  Orleans,  and  about  one  thou- 
sand below  St.  Anthony's  falls. 

No  place  in  the  world,  situated  so  far  from  the  ocean,  can 
at  all  compare  with  St.  Louis  for  commercial  advantages.  It 
is  so  situated  with  regard  to  the  surrounding  country,  as  to 
become  the  key  to  its  commerce,  and  the  storehouse  of  its 
wealth  ;  and  if  the  whole  western  region  be  surveyed  with  a 
geographical  eye,  it  must  rest  with  unequalled  interest  on  that 
peninsula  of  land  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Missouri  with 
the  Mississippi  —  a  point  occupied  by  the  town  of  St.  Louis. 
Standing  near  the  confluence  of  two  such  mighty  streams,  an 
almost  immeasurable  extent  of  back  country  must  flow  to  it 
with  its  produce,  and  be  supplied  from  it  with  merchandise. 
The  main  branch  of.  the  Missouri  is  navigable  two  thousand 
five  hundred  miles,  and  the  most  inconsiderable  of  its  tributary 
streams  will  vie  with  the  largest  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  States. 
The  Mississippi,  on  the  other  hand,  is  navigable  without  inter- 
ruption for  one  thousand  miles  above  St.  Louis.     Its  affluents, 

the  De  Corbeau,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  St.  Pierre,  Rock  river,  Salt 
4  * 


42  ITS   GEOGRAPHICAL   POSITION. 

river,  and  Desmoines,  are  all  streams  of  the  first  magnitude, 
and  navigable  for  many  hundred  miles.  The  Illinois  is  navi- 
gable three  hundred  miles ;  and  -when  the  communication 
between  it  and  the  lakes,  and  between  the  Mississippi  and  lake 
Superior,  and  the  lake  of  the  Woods — between  the  Missouri  and 
the  Columbia  valley  —  shall  be  effected;  communications  not 
only  pointed  out,  but,  in  some  instances,  almost  completed  by 
nature ;  what  a  chain  of  connected  navigation  shall  wre  be- 
hold !  And  by  looking  upon  the  map,  we  shall  find  St.  Louis 
the  focus  where  all  these  streams  are  destined  to  be  discharged 
—  the  point  where  all  this  vast  commerce  must  centre,  and 
where  the  wealth  flowing  from  these  prolific  sources  must  pre- 
eminently crown  her  the  queen  of  the  west. 

My  attention  was  called  to  two  large  mounds,  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  Mississippi,  a  short  distance  above  St.  Louis.  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  expressing  the  opinion  that  they  are  geo- 
logical, and  not  artificial.  Indian  bodies  have  been  buried  in 
their  sides,  precisely  as  they  are  often  buried  by  the  natives  in 
other  elevated  grounds,  for  which  they  have  a  preference. 
But  the  mounds  themselves  consist  of  sand,  boulders,  pebbles, 
and  other  drift  materials,  such  as  are  common  to  undisturbed 
positions  in  the  Mississippi  valley  generally. 

Another  subject  in  the  physical  geography  of  the  country 
attracted  my  notice,  the  moment  the  river  fell  low  enough  to 
expose  its  inferior  shores,  spits,  and  sand-bars.  It  is  the  pro- 
gressive diffusion  of  its  detritus  from  superior  to  inferior  posi- 
tions in  its  length.  Among  this  transported  material  I  observed 
numerous  small  fragments  of  those  agates,  and  other  silicious 
minerals  of  the  quartz  family,  which  characterize  the  broad 
diluvial  tracts  about  its  sources  and  upper  portions. 


CHAPTER   III. 

RESOLVE   TO   PROCEED    FURTHER    WEST — NIGHT   VOYAGE   ON   THE 

MISSISSIPPI    IN    A    SKIFF AN    ADVENTURE PROCEED    ON    FOOT 

WEST    TO    THE     MISSOURI     MINES INCIDENTS    BY     THE    WAY 

MINERS'    VILLAGE   OF   SHIBBOLETH — COMPELLED  BY  A  STORM   TO 

PASS    THE    NIGHT    AT    OLD    MINES REACH    POTOSI FAVORABLE 

RECEPTION  BY  THE  MINING  GENTRY  —  PASS  SEVERAL  MONTHS 
IN  EXAMINING  THE  MINES ORGANIZE  AN  EXPEDITION  TO  EX- 
PLORE   WESTWARD ITS     COMPOSITION DISCOURAGEMENTS     ON 

SETTING    OUT PROCEED,  NOTWITHSTANDING INCIDENTS  OF  THE 

JOURNEY   TO   THE   VALLEY   OF   LEAVES. 

I  WAS  kindly  received  by  some  persons  I  had  before  known, 
particularly  by  a  professional  gentleman  with  whom  I  had 
descended  the  Alleghany  river  in  the  preceding  month  of 
March,  who  invited  me  to  remain  at  his  house.  I  had  now 
proceeded  about  seventeen  hundred  miles  from  my  starting- 
point  in  Western  New  York  ;  and  after  passing  a  few  days  in 
examining  the  vicinity,  and  comparing  facts,  I  resolved  on  the 
course  it  would  be  proper  to  pursue,  in  extending  my  journey 
further  west  and  south-west.  I  had  felt,  for  many  years,  an 
interest  in  the  character  and  resources  of  the  mineralogy  of 
this  part  of  what  I  better  knew  as  Upper  Louisiana,  and  its 
reported  mines  of  lead,  silver,  copper,  salt,  and  other  natural 
productions.  I  had  a  desire  to  see  the  country  which  De  Soto 
had  visited,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  I  wished  to  trace  its 
connection  with  the  true  Cordillera  of  the  United  States — the 
Stony  or  Rocky  mountains.  My  means  for  undertaking  this 
were  rather  slender.  I  had  already  drawn  heavily  on  these  in 
my  outward  trip.     But  I  felt  (I  believe  from  early  reading)  an 

irrepressible  desire  to  explore  this  region.      I  was   a  good 

(43) 


/ 


44  NIGHT   VOYAGE   ON  THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

draughtsman,  mapper,  and  geographer,  a  ready  penman,  a 
rapid  sketchcr,  and  a  naturalist  devoted  to  mineralogy  and 
geology,  with  some  readiness  as  an  assayer  and  experimental 
chemist ;  and  I  relied  on  these  as  both  aids  and  recommenda- 
tions— as,  in  short,  the  incipient  means  of  success. 

When  ready  to  embark  on  the  Mississippi,  I  was  joined  by 
my  two  former  companions  in  the  ascent  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  one  of  the  hottest  sum- 
mer days,  when  we  took  our  seats  together  in  a  light  skiff  at 
St.  Louis,  and  pushed  out  into  the  Mississippi,  which  was  still 
in  flood,  but  rapidly  falling,  intending  to  reach  Cahokia  that 
night.  But  the  atmosphere  soon  became  overcast,  and,  when 
night  came  on,  it  was  so  intensely  dark  that  we  could  not  dis- 
criminate objects  at  much  distance.  Floating,  in  a  light  pine 
skiff,  in  the  centre  of  such  a  stream,  on  a  very  dark  night,  our 
fate  seemed  suspended  by  a  thread.  The  downward  pressure 
of  the  current  was  such,  that  we  needed  not  to  move  an  oar; 
and  every  eye  was  strained,  by  holding  it  down  parallel  to  the 
water,  to  discover  contiguous  snags,  or  floating  bodies.  It 
became,  at  the  same  time,  quite  cold.  We  at  length  made  a 
shoal  covered  with  willows,  or  a  low  sandy  islet,  on  the  left,  or 
Illinois  shore.  Here,  one  of  my  Youghioghany  friends,  who 
had  not  yet  got  over  his  penchant  for  grizzly  bears,  returned 
from  reconnoitering  the  bushes,  with  the  cry  of  this  prairie 
monster  with  a  cub.  It  was  too  dark  to  scrutinize,  and,  as  we 
had  no  arms,  we  pushed  on  hurriedly  about  a  mile  further,  and 
laid  down,  rather  than  slept,  on  the  shore,  without  victuals  or 
fire.  At  daylight,  for  which  we  waited  anxiously,  we  found 
ourselves  nearly  opposite  Carondelet,  to  which  we  rowed,  and 
where  we  obtained  a  warm  breakfast.  Before  we  had  finished 
eating,  our  French  landlady  called  for  pay.  Whether  any- 
thing on  our  part  had  awakened  her  suspicions,  or  the  decep- 
tion of  others  had  rendered  the  precaution  necessary,  I  cannot 
say.  Recruited  in  spirits  by  this  meal,  and  by  the  opening  of 
a  fine,  clear  day,  we  pursued  our  way,  without  further  misad- 
venture, about  eighteen  miles,  and  landed  at  Herculaneum. 

The  next  day,  which  was  the  last  of  July,  I  set  out  on  foot 
for  the  mines,  having  directed  my  trunks  to  follow  me  by  the 


JOURNEY   ON   FOOT.  45 

first  returning  lead-teams.  My  course  led  through  an  open, 
rolling  country,  covered  with  grass,  shrubs,  and  prairie  flowers, 
and  having  but  few  trees.  There  was  consequently  little  or  no 
shade,  and,  the  weather  being  sultry,  I  suffered  much  from  heat 
and  thirst.  For  the  space  of  about  twelve  miles,  the  road  ran 
over  an  elevated  ridge,  destitute  of  streams  or  springs.  I  did 
not  meet  an  individual,  nor  see  anything  of  the  animal  creation 
larger  than  a  solitary  wild  turkey,  which,  during  the  hottest 
part  of  the  day,  came  to  contest  with  me  for,  or  rather  had 
previously  reached,  some  water  standing  in  a  wagon-rut.  I 
gained  the  head  of  the  Joachim  creek  before  nightfall,  and, 
having  taken  lodgings,  hastened  down  to  a  sheltered  part  of 
the  channel  to  bathe,  after  which  I  enjoyed  a  refreshing  night's 
sleep.  The  aboriginal  name  of  this  stream  was  "  Zwashau," 
meaning  pin-oak,  as  I  was  told  by  an  old  hunter  whom  I  met. 
The  next  day  I  was  early  on  my  way  ;  and  I  soon  began  to 
discover,  in  the  face  of  the  country,  evidences  of  its  metallife- 
rous character.  Twelve  miles  brought  me  to  the  valley  of 
Grand  or  Big  river,  one  of  the  principal  tributaries  of  the 
Maramec.  In  descending  the  high  grounds,  I  observed  nu- 
merous specimens  of  the  brown  oxide  of  iron  ;  and  after  cross- 
ing the  ferry,  the  mineral  locally  called  mineral  blossom, 
(radiated  quartz,)  of  which  I  had  noticed  slight  traces  before, 
developed  itself  in  fine  specimens.  The  first  mining  village  I 
came  to,  bore  the  name  of  Shibboleth.  At  this  place  there  was 
a  smelting  furnace,  of  the  kind  called  a  log-furnace.  Here  I 
first  saw  heaps  of  the  ore  of  lead  commonly  found.  It  is  the 
sulphuret,  of  a  broad  glittering  grain,  and  cubical  fracture. 
It  is  readily  smelted,  being  piled  on  logs  of  equal  length,  and 
adjusted  in  the  before-named  furnace,  where  it  is  roasted  till 
the  sulphur  is  driven  off;  when  desulphurated,  it  melts,  and 
the  metal  is  received  on  an  inclined  plane  and  conducted  into 
an  orifice,  from  which  it  is  ladled  into  moulds.  From  fifty  to 
sixty  per  cent,  is  obtained  in  this  way.  Shibboleth  is  the 
property  of  John  Smith  T. ;  a  man  whose  saturnine  temper 
and  disposition  have  brought  him  into  collision  with  many 
persons,  and  given  him  a  wide-spread  notoriety  both  in  Mis- 
souri and  Tennessee. 


46  THE    MINING   REGION. 

I  lingered  along  so  leisurely,  and  stopped  so  often  to  exa- 
mine objects  by  the  way,  that  my  progress  was  not  rapid.  I 
obtained  some  corn-bread  and  milk  at  a  house,  and  pursued 
my  journey  to  Old  Mines,  where  a  heavy  storm  of  rain  arose. 
I  took  shelter  at  a  neighboring  house,  where  I  remained  during 
the  night.  The  next  morning  I  walked  into  Potosi,  and  took 
lodgings  at  Mr.  William  Ficklin's.  This  gentleman  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  where  most  of  his  life  had  been  passed  in 
the  perils  and  adventures  attending  the  early  settlement  of 
that  State.  His  conversation  was  replete  with  anecdotes  of 
perilous  adventures  which  he  had  experienced ;  and  I  was 
indebted  to  him  for  some  necessary  practical  points  of  know- 
ledge in  forest  life,  and  precautions  in  travelling  in  an  Indian 
country. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  was  a  local  election  day,  for  a 
representative  from  the  county  in  the  territorial  legislature,  to 
which  Mr.  Austin  the  younger  was  returned.  This  brought 
together  the  principal  mining  and  agricultural  gentlemen  of  the 
region,  and  was  a  circumstance  of  some  advantage  to  me,  in 
extending  my  acquaintance,  and  making  known  the  objects  of 
my  visit.  In  this,  the  Austins,  father  and  son,  were  most  kind 
and  obliging.  Indeed,  the  spirit  with  which  I  was  received  by 
the  landed  proprietors  of  the  country  generally,  and  the  frank- 
ness and  urbanity  of  their  manners  and  sentiments,  inspired 
me  with  high  hopes  of  success  in  making  a  mineralogical  survey 
of  the  country. 

I  found  the  geological  structure  of  the  country,  embracing 
the  mines,  to  be  very  uniform.  It  consists  of  a  metalliferous 
limestone,  in  horizontal  strata,  which  have  not  been  lifted  up 
or  disturbed  from  their  horizontally  by  volcanic  forces ;  but 
they  have  been  exposed  to  the  laws  of  disintegration  and  ele- 
mental action  in  a  very  singular  manner.  By  this  action,  the 
surface  of  the  formation  has  been  divided  into  ridges,  valleys, 
and  hills,  producing  inequalities  of  the  most  striking  and  pic- 
turesque character. 

There  are  some  forty  principal  mines,  in  an  area  of  about 
seventy  miles  by  thirty  or  forty  in  breadth.  The  chief  ore  of 
lead  smelted  is  galena.     The  associated  minerals  of  most  pro- 


GEOLOGICAL   EXPLORATIONS.  47 

minence  are  sulphate^of  barytes,  sulphuret  of  zinc,  calcareous 
spar,  and  crystallized  quartz,  chiefly  in  radiated  crystals.  I 
spent  upwards  of  three  months  in  a  survey  of  the  mines  of 
chief  consequence,  noting  their  peculiarities  and  geological 
features.  By  far  the  most  remarkable  feature  in  the  general 
structure  of  the  country,  consists  of  the  existence  of  a  grani- 
tical  tract  at  the  sources  of  the  river  St.  Francis.  This  I  par- 
ticularly examined.  The  principal  elevations  consist  of  red 
sienite  and  greenstone,  lying  in  their  usual  forms  of  mountain 
masses.  The  geological  upheavals  which  have  brought  these 
masses  to  their  present  elevations,  appear  to  have  been  of  the 
most  ancient  character ;  for  the  limestones  and  crystalline 
sandstones  have  been  deposited,  in  perfectly  horizontal  beds, 
against  their  sides. 

Feeling  a  desire  to  compare  this  formation  with  the  structure 
of  the  country  west  and  south  of  it,  extending  to  the  Rocky 
mountains,  and  satisfied  at  the  same  time  that  these  primary 
peaks  constituted  the  mineral  region  of  De  Soto's  most  north- 
erly explorations,  I  determined  to  extend  my  explorations 
south-westwardly.  The  term  "  Ozark  mountains"  is  popularly 
applied  to  the  broad  and  elevated  highlands  which  stretch  in 
this  direction,  reaching  from  the  Maramec  to  the  Arkansas. 
Having  obtained  the  best  information  accessible  from  hunters 
and  others  who  had  gone  farthest  in  that  direction,  I  deter- 
mined to  proceed,  as  early  as  I  could  complete  my  arrange- 
ments for  that  purpose,  to  explore  those  elevations. 

Colonel  W.  H.  Ashley,  who  had  penetrated  into  this  region, 
together  with  several  enterprising  hunters  and  woodsmen, 
represented  it  as  metalliferous,  and  abounding  in  scenes  of 
varied  interest.  It  had  been  the  ancient  hunting-ground  of 
the  Osages,  a  wild  and  predatory  tribe,  who  yet  infested  its 
fastnesses ;  and  it  was  represented  as  subject  to  severe  risks 
from  this  cause.  Two  or  three  of  the  woodsmen,  who  were 
best  acquainted  with  this  tract,  expressed  a  willingness  to  ac- 
company me  on  a  tour  of  exploration.  I  therefore,  in  the 
month  of  October,  revisited  St.  Louis  and  Illinois,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  final  arrangements  for  the  tour,  and  obtained 
the  consent  of  Mr.  Brigham   and   Mr.  Pettibone,  previously 


48  DIFFICULTIES   AT    STARTING. 

mentioned,  to  accompany  me.  A  day  was  appointed  for  our 
assembling  at  Potosi.  I  then  returned  to  complete  my  arrange- 
ments. I  purchased  a  stout,  low-priced  horse,  to  carry  such 
supplies  as  were  requisite,  made  his  pack-saddle  with  my  own 
hands,  and  had  it  properly  riveted  by  a  smith.  A  pair  of 
blankets  for  sleeping;  a  small,  short-handled  frying-pan;  a 
new  axe,  a  tin  coffee-pot,  three  tin  cups,  and  the  same  number 
of  tin  plates ;  a  couple  of  hunting-knives ;  a  supply  of  lead, 
shot,  ball,  powder,  and  flints ;  a  small  smith's  hammer,  and 
nails  for  setting  a  horseshoe  ;  a  horse-bell  and  strap  ;  a  pocket 
compass;  a  gun,  shot-pouch,  and  appendages,  containing  a 
space  for  my  diary ;  a  mineral-hammer,  constructed  under  my 
own  directions,  so  as  to  embrace  a  small  mortar  on  one  face, 
and  capable  of  unscrewing  at  the  handle,  which  could  be  used 
as  a  pestle ;  a  supply  of  stout  clothing,  a  bear-skin  and  oil- 
cloth, some  bacon,  tea,  sugar,  salt,  hard  bread,  &c,  constituted 
the  chief  articles  of  outfit.  The  man  of  whom  I  purchased  the 
horse  called  him  by  the  unpoetic  name  of  "Butcher." 

It  was  the  beginning  of  November  before  my  friends  arrived, 
and  on  the  sixth  of  that  month  we  packed  the  horse,  and  took 
our  way  over  the  mineral  hills  that  surround  Potosi,  making 
our  first  encampment  in  a  little  valley,  on  the  margin  of  a 
stream  called  Bates's  creek. 

It  was  fine  autumn  weather ;  the  leaves  of  the  forest  were 
mostly  sere,  and  the  winds  scattered  them  about  us  with  an 
agreeable  movement,  as  we  wound  among  the  hills.  We  were 
evidently  following  an  old  Indian  trail,  and,  finding  a  rather 
tenable  old  wigwam,  constructed  of  poles  and  bark,  we  pitched 
upon  it  as  our  first  place  of  encampment.  My  kind  host  from 
Kentucky,  with  whom  I  had  been  staying,  accompanied  us  thus 
far,  to  see  us  safely  in  the  woods,  and  taught  me  the  art  of 
hobbling  a  horse,  and  tying  on  his  night-bell.  The  hunters, 
who  had  talked  rather  vaingloriously  of  their  prowess  among 
wild  animals  and  Osages,  one  by  one  found  obstacles  to  impede 
their  o-oin^.  Finally,  one  of  my  companions  was  compelled  to 
return,  owing  to  a  continued  attack  of  fever  and  ague.  I 
determined,  nevertheless,  to  proceed,  thinking  that  a  hunter 
could  be  found  to  join  us  before  quitting  the  verge  of  civiliza- 


FIRST   NIGHT   IN   THE   WILDERNESS.  49 

tion.  Having  unpacked  Butcher,  prepared  him  for  the  night, 
stowed  away  the  baggage,  and  built  a  fire,  I  took  my  gun  and 
sallied  out  into  the  forest,  while  my  companion  prepared  things 
for  our  supper.  I  found  the  greatest  abundance  of  lai'ge  black 
and  grey  squirrels  in  a  neighboring  wood,  and  returned  with  a 
number  of  the  finest  of  them  in  season  to  add  to  our  evening's 
meal. 

A  man's  first  night  in  the  wilderness  is  impressive.  Our 
friends  had  left  us,  and  returned  to  Potosi.  Gradually  all 
sounds  of  animated  nature  ceased.  When  darkness  closed 
around  us,  the  civilized  world  seemed  to  have  drawn  its  cur- 
tains, and  excluded  us.  We  put  fresh  sticks  on  the  fire,  which 
threw  a  rich  flash  of  light  on  our  camp,  and  finally  wrapped 
ourselves  in  our  blankets,  and,  amidst  ruminations  on  the  pecu- 
liarities of  our  position,  our  hopes,  and  our  dangers,  we  sank 
to  sleep. 

Nov.  7th.  The  first  thing  listened  for  this  morning  was  the 
tinkle  of  our  horse's  bell.  But  Butcher  was  gone.  All  my 
precautions  had  been  in  vain.  The  poor  beast  appeared  to 
have  had  a  presentiment  of  the  hard  fare  that  was  before  him, 
and,  although  his  fore-feet  were  tethered,  and  he  must  lift  up 
both  together  to  jump,  yet,  having  a  strong  recollection  of  the 
corn-fodder  and  juicy  blades  left  behind  him,  he  had  made  his 
way  back  to  the  mines.  I  immediately  went  in  pursuit  of  him. 
He  was  easily  tracked  until  he  got  to  a  space  of  rank  herbage, 
where  I  lost  the  track,  and  hearing,  at  the  same  moment,  a 
bell  to  the  left,  I  pursued  the  sound  over  hill  and  through  dale, 
till  I  came  out  at  a  farm-yard  on  Mine  creek,  four  miles  below 
Potosi,  where  I  found  the  bell  whose  sound  I  had  followed 
attached  to  the  neck  of  a  stately  penned  ox.  The  owner  told 
me  that  Butcher  had  reached  the  mines,  and  been  sent  back  to 
my  camp  by  his  former  owner.  I  had  nothing  left  but  to 
retrace  my  steps,  which,  luckily,  were  but  the  shorter  line  of 
an  acute  triangle.  I  found  him  at  the  camp.  It  was,  how- 
ever, ten  o'clock  before  our  breakfast  was  despatched,  and  the 
horse  repacked  ready  for  starting.  We  took  the  labor  of  lead- 
ing the  horse,  and  carrying  the  compass  and  guiding,  day 
5  D 


50  THE    PINERY  —  LAW'S    FORK. 

about,  so  as  to  equalize  these  duties,  and  leave  no  cause  for 
dissatisfaction.  Our  trail  carried  us  across  the  succession  of 
elevated  and  arid  ridges  called  the  Pinery.  Not  a  habitation 
of  any  kind,  nor  the  vestiges  of  one,  was  passed ;  neither  did 
we  observe  any  animal,  or  even  bird.  The  soil  was  sterile, 
hard,  and  flinty,  bearing  yellow  pines,  with  some  oaks.  Our 
general  course  was  west-south-west.  The  day  was  mild  and 
pleasant  for  the  season.  For  a  computed  distance  of  fourteen 
miles,  we  encountered  a  succession  of  ascents  and  descents,  which 
made  us  rejoice,  as  evening  approached,  to  see  a  tilled  valley 
before  us.  It  proved  to  be  the  location  of  a  small  branch  of 
the  Maramec  river,  called  by  its  original  French  name  of 
Fourche  a  Courtois.  The  sun  sank  below  the  hills  as  we  en- 
tered this  valley.  Some  woodcock  flew  up  as  we  reached  the 
low  ground ;  but  as  we  had  a  cabin  in  view,  and  the  day  was 
far  gone,  we  moved  on  toward  our  principal  object.  Presently 
the  loud  barking  of  dogs  announced  our  approach ;  they 
seemed,  by  their  clamor,  as  pertinacious  as  if  two  wolves  or 
panthers  were  stealing  on  the  tenement,  till  they  were  silenced 
by  the  loud  commands  of  their  master.  It  was  a  small  log 
building,  of  the  usual  construction  on  the  frontiers,  and  af- 
forded the  usual  hospitality,  and  ready  accommodations.  They 
gave  us  warm  cakes  of  corn-bread,  and  fine  rich  milk ;  and, 
spreading  our  blankets  before  the  fire,  we  enjoyed  sound  slum- 
bers. Butcher,  here,  had  his  last  meal  of  corn,  and  made  no 
attempt  to  escape. 

Nov.  8th.  "With  the  earliest  streaks  of  daylight  we  adjusted 
our  pack  for  the  horse,  and  again  set  forward  on  the  trail.  In 
the  course  of  two  miles'  travel,  we  forded  a  stream  called  Law's 
Fork,  and  also  the  branch  of  the  Maramec  on  which  we  had 
lodged  the  previous  night.  We  soon  after  descried  a  hunter's 
cabin,  a  small  and  newly  erected  hut  in  the  midst  of  the  forest, 
occupied  by  a  man  named  Alexander  Roberts.  This  proved 
the  last  house  we  encountered,  and  was  estimated  to  be  twenty 
miles  from  Potosi.  Some  trees  had  been  felled  and  laid 
around,  partially  burned ;  but  not  a  spot  of  ground  was  in  cul- 
tivation.    Dogs,  lean  and  hungry,  heralded  our  approach,  as 


OBTAIN   A   GUIDE.  51 

in  the  former  instance ;  and  they  barked  loud  and  long.     On 
reaching  the  cabin,  we  found  that  the  man  was  not  at  home, 
having  left  it,  his  wife  said,  with  his  rifle,  at  an  early  hour,  in 
search  of  game.     She  thought  he  would  be  back  before  noon, 
and  that  he  would  accompany  us.     We  decided  to  await  his 
return,  and  in  the  meanwhile  prepared  our  frugal  breakfast. 
In  a  short  time,  Roberts  returned ;  he  was  a  chunky,  sinister- 
looking  fellow,  and  reminded  me  of  Ali  Baba,  in  the  "Forty 
Thieves."     He  had   a  short,   greasy  buckskin  frock,   and   a 
pointed  old  hat.     His  wife,  who  peeped  out  of  the  door,  looked 
queer,  and  had  at  least  one  resemblance  to  Cogia,  which  seemed 
to  be   "starvation."      The  hunter  had   killed   nothing,   and 
agreed  to  accompany  us,  immediately  beginning  his  prepara- 
tions.    He  at  the  same   time  informed  us  of  the  fear  enter- 
tained of  the  Osages,  and  other  matters  connected  with  our 
journey  in  the  contemplated  direction.     About  ten  o'clock  he 
was  ready,  and,  leading  a  stout  little  compact  horse  from  a  pen, 
he  clapped  a  saddle  on,  seized  his  rifle,  announced  himself  as 
ready,  and  led  off.     The  trail  led  up  a  long  ridge,  which  ap- 
peared to  be   the  dividing  ground  between  the  two  principal 
forks  of  the  Maramec.     It  consisted  of  a  stiff  loam,  filled  with 
geological  drift,  which,  having  been  burned  over  for  ages  by 
the  Indians,  to  fit  it  for  hunting  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  had 
little  carbonaceous  soil  left,  and   exhibited  a  hard  and  arid 
surface.     Our  general  course  was  still  west-south-west.     After 
proceeding  about  four  miles,  our  path  came  to  the  summit  of 
an  eminence,  from  which  we  descried  the  valley  of  the  Ozau, 
or   Ozark   fork.      This    valley  consisted    entirely   of  prairie. 
Scarcely  a  tree  was  visible  in  it.     The  path  wound  down  the 
declivity,  and  across  the  valley.     The  soil  appeared  to  be  fer- 
tile.    Occupying  one  bank  of  the  stream,  nearly  in  the  centre 
of  the  valley,  we  passed  a  cluster  of  Indian  wigwams,  inha- 
bited alone  by  the  old  men,  women,  and  children ;  the  young 
men  being  absent,  hunting.     We  found  them  to  be  Lenno- 
Lenapees,  or,  in  other  words,  Delawares  ;  being  descendants 
of  the  Indians  whom  William  Penn  found,  in  1682,  in  the 
pleasant   forest  village  of  Coacquannok,  where  Philadelphia 
now  stands.     Strange,  but  not  extraordinary  history  !     They 


M 


52  INDIANS — WILD    VENISON. 

have  been  shoved  back  by  civilization,  in  the  course  of  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  years'  mutations,  over  the  Alleghanies  — 
over  the  Mississippi  —  into  the  spurs  of  these  mountains. 
Where  they  will  be  after  the  lapse  of  a  similar  period,  no  one 
can  say.  But  this  can  be  said — that  the  hunting  of  deer  will 
give  out ;  and  if  they  do  not  betake  themselves  to  some  other 
means  of  subsistence,  they  will  be  numbered  among  the 
nations  that  were. 

Roberts  informed  me  that  four  or  five  miles  lower  down  the 
valley  was  a  village  of  Shawnees,  and,  higher  up,  another  vil- 
lage of  Delawares. 

On  reaching  the  uplands  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley,  we 
pursued  the  trail  up  its  banks  about  four  or  five  miles,  and 
encamped  by  daylight  near  a  clump  of  bushes  at  a  spring.  As 
I  was  expert  in  striking  and  kindling  a  fire,  this  became  a  duty 
to  which  I  devoted  myself  during  the  entire  journey,  while  my 
companion  busied  himself  in  preparations  for  our  repast. 
Roberts  reconnoitred  the  vicinity,  and  came  in  with  a  report 
that  we  had  reached  a  game  country. 

We  were  now  fairly  beyond  the  line  of  all  settlements,  even 
the  most  remote,  and  had  entered  on  that  broad  highland  tract 
to  which,  for  geographical  distinction,  the  name  of  Ozark  moun- 
tains is  applied.  This  tract  reaches  through  Missouri  and 
Arkansas,  from  the  Maramec  to  the  Wachita,  and  embraces 
the  middle  high  lands  between  the  plains  at  the  foot  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  the  rapids  of  the  Maramec,  St.  Fran- 
cis, Osage,  White,  Arkansas,  and  other  principal  streams ; 
these  traverse  a  belt  of  about  two  hundred  miles  east  and 
west,  by  seven  hundred  miles  north  and  south.  It  is  a  sort 
of  Rheingau,  through  which  the  rivers  burst. 

Nov.  9th.  Early  in  the  morning,  Roberts  brought  in  the 
carcase  of  a  fine  deer ;  and  we  made  our  first  meal  on  wild 
venison,  cut  fresh  smoking  from  the  tenderest  parts,  and 
roasted  on  sticks  to  suit  our  tastes.  This  put  every  one  in  the 
best  of  spirits,  and  we  packed  a  supply  of  the  meat  for  our 
evening's  repast.  Seeing  that  Roberts  was  more  at  home 
among  the  game,  and  that  he  had  but  a  sorry  knife  for  the 


THE   VALLEY   OF   LEAVES.  53 

business,  I  loaned  him  a  fine  new  belt  and  knife,  with  its 
sheath,  for  the  day.  We  now  travelled  up  the  Ozark  fork 
about  eighteen  miles.  The  weather  was  exhilarating,  and  the 
winds  were  careering  with  the  leaves  of  the  forest,  and  cast- 
ing them  in  profusion  in  our  track.  As  we  came  near  the 
sources  of  the  river,  we  entered  a  wide  prairie,  perfectly 
covered  for  miles  with  these  leaves,  brought  from  neighboring 
forests.  At  every  step  the  light  masses  were  kicked  or  brushed 
away  before  us.  This  plain,  or  rather  level  vale,  was  crowned 
in  the  distance  by  elevations  fringed  with  tall  trees  which  still 
held  some  of  their  leafy  honors,  giving  a  very  picturesque  cha- 
racter to  the  landscape.  I  booked  the  scene  at  night,  in  my  diary, 
as  Cliola,  or  the  Valley  of  Leaves.  We  held  our  way  over 
the  distant  eminences,  and  at  length  found  a  spring  by  which 
we  encamped,  at  a  rather  late  hour.  It  had  been  a  hazy  and 
smoky  day,  like  the  Indian  summer  in  Atlantic  latitudes.  We 
were  in  a  region  teeming  with  the  deer  and  elk,  which  fre- 
quently bounded  across  our  path.  The  crack  of  Roberts's 
rifle,  also,  added  to  the  animation  of  the  day's  travel ;  though 
we  might  have  known,  from  his  unsteady  bandit-eye,  that  he 
meditated  something  to  our  damage. 


5* 


CHAPTER   IV. 

HORSES    ELOPE — DESERTION   OF   OUR   GUIDE  —  ENCAMP   ON   ONE   OP 

THE    SOURCES    OP    BLACK    RIVER HEAD-WATERS    OP    THE    RIVER 

CURRENTS — ENTER  A  ROMANTIC  SUB-VALLEY SALTPETRE  CAVES 

DESCRIPTION     OP     ASHLEY'S    CAVE ENCAMPMENT     THERE 

ENTER     AN     ELEVATED     SUMMIT CALAMARCA,     AN     UNKNOWN 

STREAM  —  ENCOUNTER    FOUR    BEARS  —  NORTH   FORK    OF    WHITE 
RIVER. 

Nov.  10th.  While  we  laid  on  our  pallets  last  night,  the 
trampling  of  hoofs  was  frequently  heard  ;  but  at  length  the 
practised  ear  of  the  hunter  detected  that  these  were  the  sounds 
of  wild  animals'  hoofs,  and  not  of  our  horses.  This  man's  eye 
had  shown  an  unwonted  degree  of  restlessness  and  uneasiness 
during  the  afternoon  of  the  preceding  day,  while  witnessing 
the  abundant  signs  of  deer  and  elk  in  the  country;  but  this 
excited  no  suspicions.  He  was  restless  during  the  night,  and 
was  disturbed  at  a  very  early  hour,  long  before  light,  by  this 
trampling  of  animals.  These  sounds,  he  said  to  me,  did  not 
proceed  from  the  horses,  which  were  hobbled.  '  He  got  up,  and 
found  both  animals  missing.  Butcher's  memory  of  corn  and 
corn-fodder,  at  his  old  master's  at  Potosi,  had  not  yet  deserted 
him,  and  he  carried  the  hunter's  horse  along  with  him.  I 
immediately  jumped  up,  and  accompanied  him  in  their  pursuit. 
There  was  some  moonlight,  with  clouds  rapidly  passing.  We 
pursued  our  back-track,  anxiously  looking  from  every  eminence, 
and  stopping  to  listen  for  the  sound  of  the  bells.  Roberts 
occasionally  took  up  a  handful  of  leaves,  which  were  thickly 
strewn  around,  and  held  them  up  in  the  moonlight,  to  see  whe- 
ther the  corks  of  the  horses'  shoes  had  not  penetrated  them. 

When  he  finally  found  this  sign,  he  was  sure  we  were  in  the 

(54) 


DESERTION    OF    OUR    GUIDE.  55 

right  way.  At  length,  when  we  had  gone  several  miles,  and 
reached  an  eminence  that  overlooked  the  broad  plain  of  the 
Valley  of  Leaves,  we  plainly  descried  the  fugitives,  jumping 
on  as  fast  as  possible  on  the  way  back.  We  soon  overhauled 
them,  and  brought  them  to  camp  by  daybreak,  before  my  com- 
panion had  yet  awaked. 

Roberts  now  sallied  out,  and  in  a  few  minutes  fired  at  and 
killed  a  fat  doe,  which  he  brought  in,  and  we  made  a  break- 
fast by  roasting  steaks.  Roberts  had  expressed  no  dissatisfac- 
tion or  desire  to  return,  but,  sallying  out  again  among  the  deer 
on  horseback,  said  he  would  rejoin  us  presently,  at  a  future 
point.  We  travelled  on,  expecting  at,  every  turn  to  see  him 
reappear.  But  we  saw  no  more  of  him.  The  rascal  had  not 
only  deserted  us  at  a  difficult  point,  but  he  carried  off  my  best 
new  hunting-knife — a  loss  not  to  be  repaired  in  such  a  place. 

We  at  length  came  to  a  point  where  the  trail  forked.  This 
put  us  to  a  stand.  Which  to  take,  we  knew  not ;  and  the 
result  was  of  immense  consequence  to  our  journey,  as  we  after- 
wards found  ;  for,  had  we  taken  the  right-hand  fork,  we  should 
have  been  conducted  in  a  more  direct  line  to  the  portions  of 
country  we  so^jttj^t  to  explore.  We  took  the  left-hand  fork, 
which  we  followld  diligently,  crossing  several  streams  running 
to  the  north-west,  which  were  probably  tributary  to  the  Mis- 
souri through  the  Gasconade.  It  was  after  dark  before  we 
came  to  a  spot  having  the  requisites  for  an  encampment,  par- 
ticularly water.  It  was  an  opening  on  the  margin  of  a  small 
lake,  having  an  outlet  south-east,  which  we  finally  determined 
to  be  either  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Black  river,  or  of  the 
river  Currents. 

We  had  now  travelled  about  twenty  miles  from  our  last 
camp,  in  a  southerly  direction.  We  did  not  entirely  relinquish 
the  idea  of  being  rejoined  by  Roberts,  nor  become  fully  satis- 
fied of  his  treachery,  till  late  in  the  evening.  We  had  relied 
on  his  guidance  till  we  should  be  able  to  reach,  some  hunters' 
camps  on  the  White  or  Arkansas  rivers ;  but  this  idea  was 
henceforth  abandoned.  Left  thus,  on  the  commencement  of 
our  journey,  in  the  wilderness,  without  a  guide  or  hunter,  we 
were  consigned  to  a  doubtful  fate ;  our  extrication  from  which 


56  CURRENTS   RIVER  —  LOSE   THE   TRAIL. 

depended  wholly  upon  a  decision  and  self-reliance,  which  he 
only  knows  how  to  value,  who  is  first  called  to  grapple  with 
the  hardships  of  western  life. 

It  was  the  edge  of  a  prairie  where  we  had  halted.  Wood 
was  rather  scarce ;  hut  we  made  shift  to  build  a  good  fire,  and 
went  to  sleep  with  no  object  near  us,  to  excite  sympathy,  but 
our  horse,  who  was  securely  belled  and  tethered.  When  we 
awoke  in  the  morning,  the  fire  was  out,  and  a  pack  of  wolves 
were  howling  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  our  camp.  Whether 
the  horse  feared  them,  I  know  not ;  but  he  had  taken  his  posi- 
tion near  the  embers  of  the  fire,  where  he  stood  quite  still. 

Nov.  11th.  In  passing  two  miles,  we  crossed  a  small  stream 
running  south-east,  which  evidently  had  its  source  in  the  little 
lake  at  our  last  night's  encampment.  The  trail  beyond  this 
was  often  faint ;  in  the  course  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  we  began 
to  ascend  elevations  covered  with  pines,  but  of  so  sterile  and 
hard  a  soil,  that  we  lost  all  trace  of  it.  We  wound  about 
among  these  desolate  pine  ridges  a  mile  or  two,  till,  from 
one  of  the  higher  points,  we  descried  a  river  in  a  deep  valley, 
having  a  dense  forest  of  hard  wood,  and  every  indication  of 
animal  life.  Overjoyed  at  this,  we  mended  our  pace,  and,  by 
dint  of  great  caution,  led  our  pack-horse  into  it.  It  proved 
to  be  the  river  Currents,  a  fine  stream,  with  fertile  banks,  and 
clear  sparkling  waters.  The  grey-squirrel  was  seen  sporting 
on  its  shady  margin,  and,  as  night  approached,  the  wild  turkey 
came  in  from  the  plains  to  drink,  and  make  its  nightly  abode. 
After  fording  the  river,  we  soon  found  our  lost  trail,  which  we 
followed  a  while  up  the  stream,  then  across  a  high  ridge  which 
constituted  its  southern  banks,  and  through  dense  thickets  to 
the  summits  of  a  narrow,  deep,  and  dark  limestone  valley, 
which  appeared  to  be  an  abyss.  Daylight  left  us  as  we  wound 
down  a  gorge  into  its  dreary  precincts ;  and  we  no  sooner 
found  it  traversed  by  a  clear  brook,  than  we  determined  to 
encamp.  As  the  fire  flashed  up,  it  revealed  on  either  side 
steep  and  frowning  cliffs,  which  might  gratify  the  wildest  spirit 
of  romance.  This  stream,  with  its  impending  cavernous  cliffs, 
I  designated  the  Wall-cave  or  Ononda  valley. 


WALL-CAVE   VALLEY.  57 

We  had  advanced  this  day  about  eighteen  or  twenty  miles. 
We  had  an  opportunity,  while  on  the  skirts  of  the  high  prairie 
lands,  to  fire  at  some  elk,  and  to  observe  their  stately  motions  ; 
but,  being  still  supplied  with  venison,  we  were  not  willing  to 
waste  the  time  in  pursuing  them.  Our  course  varied  from 
south  to  south-west. 

Nov.  12th.  Daylight  fully  revealed  our  position.  We  were 
in  a  valley,  often  not  more  than  six  hundred  feet  wide,  with 
walls  of  high  precipitous  limestone  rock.  These  cliffs  were 
remarkable  for  nothing  so  much  as  their  caverns,  seated  uni- 
formly at  a  height  of  forty  or  fifty  feet  above  the  ground,  in 
inaccessible  positions.  I  do  not  know  the  number  of  these 
caves,  as  we  did  not  count  them ;  but  they  existed  on  either 
side  of  the  valley  as  far  as  we  explored  it.  Most  of  them 
were  too  high  to  reach.  A  tree  had  fallen  against  the  cliff 
near  one  of  them,  by  climbing  which  I  reached  a  small  ledge 
of  the  rock  that  afforded  a  little  footing,  and,  by  cautiously 
groping  along,  the  orifice  was  finally  reached  and  entered.  It 
proved  interesting,  although  of  no  great  extent ;  but  it  con- 
tained stalactites  depending  in  clusters  from  the  walls.  Of 
these,  I  secured  a  number  which  were  translucent.  Slender 
crystals  of  nitrate  of  potash,  of  perfect  whiteness  and  crystal- 
line beauty,  were  found  in  some  of  the  crevices.  Having 
secured  specimens  of  these,  I  again  got  out  on  the  ledge  of 
rock,  and,  reaching  the  tree,  descended  in  safety. 

About  half  a  mile  higher  up  the  valley,  on  its  south  side, 
we  discovered  a  cavern  of  gigantic  dimensions.  The  opening 
in  the  face  of  the  rock  appeared  to  be  about  eighty  or  ninety 
feet  wide,  and  about  thirty  high.  A  projection  of  rock  on  one 
side  enabled  us  to  enter  it.  A  vast  and  gloomy  rotundo 
opened  before  us.  It  very  soon,  after  the  entry,  increases  in 
height  to  sixty  or  seventy  feet,  and  in  width  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  or  two  hundred  feet,  forming  an  immense  hall.  This 
hall  has  another  opening  or  corridor,  leading  to  a  precipitous 
part  of  the  cliff.  It  extends  into  the  rock,  southerly,  an  un- 
explored distance,  branching  off  in  lateral  avenues  from  the 
main  trunk.     We  explored  the  main  gallery  five  or  six  hun- 


58  ASHLEY'S   CAVE. 

drcd  yards,  when  we  found  obstructions.  The  roof  has  been 
blackened  by  the  carbonaceous  effect  of  fires,  kindled  by 
Indians  or  white  men,  who  have  visited  it,  in  former  years,  in 
search  of  nitrous  earth.  In  some  parts  of  it,  compact  bodies 
of  pebbles  and  reddish  clay,  very  similar  to  that  found  on  the 
cliffs,  are  seen,  which  creates  an  idea  that  the  cavern  must 
have  been  an  open  orifice  at  the  geological  era  of  the  diluvial 
deposits.  This  earth,  by  being  lixiviated  with  common  house- 
ashes,  produces  a  liquid  which,  on  evaporation,  yields  saltpetre. 
The  cave,  I  was  informed  at  Potosi,  has  been  visited  for  this 
purpose  by  Colonel  Ashley,  and  it  appropriately  bears  his 
name.  Finding  it  a  perfect  "rock-house,"  and  being  dry,  and 
affording  advantages  for  some  necessary  repairs  to  our  gear, 
and  arrangements  for  the  further  continuation  of  our  explora- 
tions, we,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  removed  our 
camp  up  the  valley,  and  encamped  within  it.  We  could  shelter 
ourselves  completely  in  its  capacious  chambers  in  case  of  rain, 
of  which  there  were  indications,  and  take  a  calm  view  of  the 
course  it  seemed  now  expedient  to  pursue.  Thus  far,  we  had 
had  a  trail,  however  slight,  to  follow  ;  but  from  this  point  there 
was  none — we  were  to  plunge  into  the  pathless  woods,  and  to 
trust  ourselves  alone  to  the  compass,  and  the  best  judgment 
we  could  form  of  courses,  distances,  and  probabilities.  A 
wilderness  lay  before  us,  behind  us,  and  around  us.  We  had 
"  taken  our  lives  in  our  hands,"  and  we  were  well  satisfied  that 
our  success  must  depend  on  our  vigilance,  energy,  and  deter- 
mination. In  addition  to  the  exertion  of  providing  food,  and 
repairing  our  clothing,  which,  as  we  urged  our  way,  was  pay- 
ing tribute  to  every  sharp  bush  we  pressed  through,  we  had  to 
exercise  a  constant  vigilance  to  prevent  Indian  surprises ;  for 
experience  had  already  taught  us  that,  in  the  wilderness,  where 
there  is  no  law  to  impose  restraint  but  the  moral  law  of  the 
heart,  man  is  the  greatest  enemy  of  man. 

Nov.  13th.  The  threatening  appearance  of  the  atmosphere 
induced  us  to  remain  most  of  the  day  in  our  rock-house,  which 
was  devoted  to  devising  a  more  safe  and  compact  mode  of  car- 
rying Specimens,  to  repairs  of  our  pack-saddles,  a  reconstruc- 


A  RAINY  DAY  —  JOURNEY  RESUMED.  59 

tion  of  the  mode  of  packing,  &c.  We  then  made  a  further 
reconnoissance  of  the  cavern,  and  its  vicinity  and  productions. 
I  had  paid  particular  attention  to  the  subject  of  the  occurrence 
of  animal  bones  in  our  western  caves,  as  those  of  Europe  had 
recently  excited  attention ;  but  never  found  any,  in  a  single 
instance,  except  the  species  of  existing  weasels,  and  other  very 
small  quadrupeds,  which  are  to  be  traced  about  these  castel- 
lated and  cavernous  cliffs.  As  evening  approached,  a  flock  of 
turkeys,  coming  in  from  the  plain  to  the  top  of  the  cliff  above 
the  cavern,  flew  down  on  to  the  trees  directly  in  front  of  us, 
sheltered  as  we  were  from  their  sight,  and  afforded  a  fine 
opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  our  sportsmanship. 

Nov.  14th.  The  rain  which  had  threatened  to  fall  yester- 
day, poured  down  this  morning,  and  continued  with  moi*e  or 
less  violence  all  day.  Our  packages,  clothing,  arms  and  ac- 
coutrements, were  thoroughly  overhauled  and  examined.  We 
had  still  supplies  of  everything  essential  to  our  comfort.  Our 
bacon  had  not  been  seriously  trenched  on,  while  the  forest  had 
amply  supplied  us  with  venison,  and  our  groceries  bade  fair  to 
last  us  till  we  should  strike  some  of  the  main  southern  streams, 
or  till  our  increasing  powers  of  endurance  and  forest  skill 
should  enable  us  to  do  without  them. 

Nov.  15th.  This  morning,  the  sky  being  clear  and  bright, 
we  left  our  rock  abode  in  the  Wall-cave  valley.  We  ascended 
this  valley  a  short  distance,  but,  as  it  led  us  too  far  west,  and 
the  brush  proved  so  thick  as  to  retard  our  progress,  we  soon  left 
it.  With  some  ado,  the  horse  was  led  to  the  top  of  the  cliff. 
A  number  of  lateral  valleys,  covered  with  thick  brush,  made 
this  a  labor  by  no  means  light.  The  surface  of  the  ground 
was  rough,  vegetation  sere  and  dry,  and  every  thicket  which 
spread  before  us  presented  an  obstacle  which  was  to  be  over- 
come. We  could  have  penetrated  many  of  these,  which  the 
horse  could  not  be  forced  through.  Such  parts  of  our  clothing 
as  did  not  consist  of  buckskin,  paid  frequent  tribute  to  these 
brambles. 

At  length  we  got  clear  of  these  spurs,  and  entered  on  a 


60  MONOTONOUS   COUNTRY. 

high  table-land,  -where  travelling  became  comparatively  easy. 
The  first  view  of  this  vista  of  highland  plains  was  magnificent. 
It  was  covered  with  moderate-sized  sere  grass  and  dry  seed- 
pods,  which  rustled  as  we  passed.  There  was  scarcely  an 
object  deserving  the  name  of  a  tree,  except  now  and  then  a 
solitary  trunk  of  a  dead  pine  or  oak,  which  had  been  scathed 
by  the  lightning.  The  bleached  bones  of  an  elk,  a  deer,  or  a 
bison,  were  sometimes  met.  Occasionally  we  passed  a  copse 
of  oak,  or  cluster  of  saplings.  The  deer  often  bounded  before 
us,  and  we  sometimes  disturbed  the  hare  from  its  sheltering 
bush,  or  put  to  flight  the  quail  and  the  prairie-hen.  There 
was  no  prominent  feature  in  the  distance  for  the  eye  to  rest  on. 
The  unvaried  prospect  at  length  produced  satiety.  We  felt,  in 
a  peculiar  manner,  the  solitariness  of  the  wilderness.  We 
travelled  silently  and  diligently.  It  was  a  dry  and  wave-like 
prairie.  From  morning  till  sunset,  we  did  not  encounter  a 
drop  of  water.  This  became  the  absorbing  object.  Hill  after 
hill,  and  vale  after  vale,  were  patiently  ascended,  and  dili- 
gently footed,  without  bringing  the  expected  boon.  At  last 
we  came,  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  to  a  small  running 
stream  in  the  plain,  where  we  gladly  encamped.  I  quickly 
struck  up  a  cheerful  fire,  and  we  soon  had  a  cup  of  tea  with 
our  evening's  repast.  Nor  was  Butcher  neglected.  There 
was  a  patch  of  short  green  grass  on  the  margin  of  the  brook, 
to  which  he  did  ample  justice.  We  were  not  long  after  supper 
in  yielding  ourselves  to  a  sound  sleep. 

While  we  were  in  the  act  of  encamping,  I  had  placed  my 
powder-flask  on  the  ground,  and,  on  lighting  the  fire,  neglected 
to  remove  it.  As  the  plain  was  covered  with  dry  leaves,  they 
soon  took  fire,  and  burned  over  a  considerable  space,  including 
the  spot  occupied  by  myself  and  the  flask.  The  latter  was  a 
brass-mounted  shooting-flask,  of  translucent  horn,  having  a 
flaw  through  which  grains  of  powder  sometimes  escaped.  Yet 
no  explosion  took  place.  I  looked  and  beheld  the  flask,  which 
the  fire  had  thus  run  over,  very  near  me,  with  amazement. 

Nov.  16th.  We  were  now  on  an  elevated  summit  of  table- 
land or  water-shed,  which  threw  its  waters  off  alternately  to 


CALAMARCA.  61 

the  Missouri  and  Mississippi.  It  was  covered  with  high, 
coarse,  prairie  grass,  and  its  occasional  nodding  clusters  of 
prairie  flowers  run  to  seed.  In  depressed  places,  the  greenbriar 
occasionally  became  entangled  with  the  horse's  feet,  and 
required  time  to  extricate  him.  We  very  frequently  passed 
the  head  and  thigh-bones  of  the  buffalo,  proving  that  the  ani- 
mal had  been  freely  hunted  on  these  plains.  In  the  course  of 
about  eight  miles'  travel,  we  passed  two  small  streams  running 
to  the  north-west,  which  led  us  to  think  that  we  were  diverging 
too  far  tOAvards  the  Missouri  side  of  this  vast  highland  plateau. 
It  was  still  some  hours  to  sunset,  and  we  had  gone  about  four 
miles  farther  when  we  reached  a  large,  broad  stream,  also 
flowing  towards  the  north-west.  It  had  a  rapid  and  deep  cur- 
rent, on  each  side  of  which  was  a  wide  space  of  shallow  water, 
and  boulders  of  limestone  and  sandstone.  It  required  some 
skill  to  cross  this  river,  as  it  was  too  deep  to  ford.  The  horse 
was  led  into  the  edge  of  the  stream  and  driven  over,  coming 
out  with  his  pack  safely  on  the  other  side.  The  shallow  parts 
offered  no  obstacle ;  and  we  bridged  the  deeper  portion  of  the 
channel  with  limbs  and  trunks  of  trees,  which  had  been  brought 
down  by  the  stream  when  in  flood  and  left  upon  its  banks,  and, 
being  denuded  of  their  bark,  were  light  and  dry,  and  as  white 
as  bleached  bones. 

I  had  crossed  the  channel  safely,  after  my  companion ;  but 
he  disturbed  the  bridge  on  stepping  from  it,  and  caused  me  to 
slip  from  the  stick.  Having  my  gun  in  my  right  hand,  I  natu- 
rally extended  it,  to  break  my  fall.  Each  end  of  it,  as  it 
reached  the  stream,  rested  on  a  stone,  and,  my  whole  weight 
being  in  the  centre,  the  barrel  was  slightly  sprung.  This  bridge, 
for  the  purpose  of  reference,  I  called  Calamarca.  After  cross- 
ing the  stream,  we  came  to  a  stand,  and,  on  consultation, 
explored  it  downward,  to  determine  its  general  course  ;  but, 
finding  it  to  incline  toward  the  north-west,  we  returned  up  its 
southern  bank  two  or  three  miles  above  our  rustic  bridge,  and 
encamped. 

Nov.  17th.     In  the  morning  we  proceeded  in  a  south-south- 
westerlv  direction,  which,  after  keeping  up  the  valley  from  the 
6 


62  ENCOUNTER   WITH   BEARS. 

camp  of  Calamarca  for  a  few  miles,  carried  us  up  an  elevated 
range  of  hills,  covered  with  large  oaks  bearing  acorns.  We 
had  reached  the  top  of  a  ridge  which  commanded  a  view  of  a 
valley  beyond  it,  when  we  observed,  far  below  us  in  the  valley, 
four  bears  on  an  oak,  eating  sweet  acorns.  The  descent  was 
steep  and  rough,  with  loose  stones,  which  made  it  impossible  to 
lead  the  horse  down  without  disturbing  them.  We  therefore 
tied  him  to  a  staddle,  and,  after  looking  to  our  priming,  we 
began  to  descend  the  height.  But,  as  the  leaves  had  all  fallen, 
concealment  was  impossible ;  and  when  the  animals  became 
alarmed,  and  began  to  come  down  the  tree,  we  ran  at  our 
utmost  speed  to  reach  its  foot  first.  In  this  effort,  my  compa- 
nion fell  on  the  loose  stones,  and  sprained  his  ankle ;  I  kept 
on,  but  did  not  reach  the  foot  of  the  tree  in  time  to  prevent 
their  escape,  and  I  followed  them  some  distance.  When  my 
companion's  absence  led  me  back  to  him,  I  found  him  badly 
hurt ;  he  limped  along  with  the  utmost  difficulty.  I  soon 
mounted  him  on  the  pack-horse,  and  led  up  the  little  valley ; 
but  the  pain  of  his  ankle  became  so  intense,  that  he  could  not 
bear  the  motion,  and,  after  proceeding  a  mile  or  two,  we  deter- 
mined to  halt  and  encamp.  We  had  not  travelled  from  our 
morning's  encampment  more  than  five  or  six  miles.  I  accord- 
ingly unpacked  the  horse,  prepared  a  pallet  for  my  companion, 
and  built  a  fire.  I  then  bathed  his  ankle  with  salt  and  warm 
water.  This  done,  I  took  my  gun,  and  sauntered  along  the 
thickets  in  the  hope  of  starting  some  game.  Nothing,  how- 
ever, was  found.  The  shrill  and  unmusical  cry  of  the  blue- 
jay,  which  was  the  largest  bird  I  saw,  reminded  me  of  other 
latitudes.  Thoughtful,  and  full  of  apprehension  at  this  un- 
toward accident,  I  returned  to  our  little  camp,  and  diligently 
renewed  my  antalgic  applications. 

Nov.  18th.  A  night's  rest,  and  the  little  remedies  in  my 
power  to  employ,  had  so  far  abated  the  pain  of  my  companion's 
ankle,  that  he  again  consented  to  mount  the  pack-horse,  and 
we  pursued  our  way.  up  the  little  valley  in  which  we  had  en- 
camped. We  had  not,  however,  travelled  far,  when  we  saw 
two  large  black  bears  playing  in  the  grass  before  us,  and  so 


BEAR-HUNT.  63 

intently  engaged  in  their  sport  that  they  did  not  observe  us. 
My  companion,  with  my  aid,  quickly  dismounted.  We  exa- 
mined our  arms,  tied  the  horse,  and,  having  determined  to  fire 
together,  had  reached  our  several  stations  before  the  animals 
noticed  our  approach.  They  at  first  ran  a  few  yards,  but  then 
turned  and  sat  up  in  the  high,  sere  grass,  to  see  what  had  dis- 
turbed them.  We  fired  at  the  same  moment,  each'  having 
singled  out  his  mark.  Both  animals  fled,  but  on  reaching  the 
spot  where  the  one  I  fired  at  had  sat,  blood  was  copiously 
found  on  the  grass.  I  pursued  him  and  his  mate  over  an  ad- 
joining ridge,  where  I  lost  sight  of  them ;  but  discovering,  on 
crossing  the  ridge,  a  hollow  oak,  into  which  I  judged  they  had 
crept,  I  went  back  for  the  axe  to  fell  it.  While  engaged  at 
this,  my  companion  hobbled  up,  and  relieved  me  at  the  axe. 
The  tree  at  length  came  down  with  a  thundering  crash,  par- 
tially splitting  in  its  fall,  and  I  stood  ready  with  my  gun  to 
receive  the  discomfited  inmates ;  but,  after  gazing  intently  for 
a  time,  none  appeared.  It  was  now  evident  they  had  eluded 
us,  and  that  we  had  lost  the  track.  The  excitement  had  almost 
cured  my  companion's  lameness  ;  but  it  returned  when  the 
pursuit  was  over,  and,  resuming  his  position  on  the  horse,  we 
proceeded  over  a  succession  of  high,  oak-covered  ridges.  In 
crossing  one  of  these,  a  large  and  stately  elk  offered  another 
object  for  our  notice.  He  had  an  enormous  pair  of  horns, 
which  it  seemed  he  must  find  it  difficult  to  balance  in  browsing : 
but  the  moment  he  became  aware  of  our  propinquity,  he  lifted 
his  head,  and,  throwing  back  the  antlers,  they  seemed  to  form 
shields  for  his  shoulders  and  sides  while  plunging  forward 
through  the  thickets.  WTe  stood  a  moment  to  admire  his 
splendid  leaps. 

These  incidents  had  carried  us  a  few  miles  out  of  our  course. 
We  were  on  high  broken  summits,  which  resembled,  in  their 
surface,  what  may  be  conceived  of  the  tossing  waves  of  a  sea 
suddenly  congealed.  On  descending  from  these  towards  the 
south,  we  came  to  clumps  of  bushes,  with  gravelly  areas  be- 
tween, and  an  occasional  standing  pool  of  pure  water.  It  was 
very  evident  to  our  minds,  as  we  advanced,  that  these  pools 
must   communicate  with  each  other  through  the  gravel,  and 


64  WHITE   RIVER. 

that  there  were  seasons  -when  there  was  more  water  washed 
from  the  hills.  On  following  down  this  formation  about  six 
miles,  the  connection  became  more  evident,  and  the  sources  of 
an  important  river  developed  themselves.  We  were,  in  fact, 
on  the  extreme  head-waters  of  the  Great  North  Fork  of  White 
river ;  the  Unica  of  the  Cherokees,  and  the  Riviere  au  Blanc 
of  the  French.  The  manner  in  which  the  waters  develope 
themselves  on  descending  the  southern  slope  of  these  highlands, 
is  remarkable.  They  proceed  in  plateaux  or  steps,  on  each  of 
which  the  stream  deploys  in  a  kind  of  lake,  or  elongated  basin, 
connected  with  the  next  succeeding  one  by  a  narrow  rapid. 
The  rock  is  a  grey  sandstone  in  the  lower  situations,  capped 
with  limestone.  In  some  places  the  water  wholly  disappears, 
and  seems  to  permeate  the  rock.  We  came  to  a  place  where 
the  river,  being  some  four  feet  deep,  is  entirely  absorbed  by 
the  rock,  and  does  not  again  appear  till  a  mile  below,  where  it 
suddenly  issues  from  the  rock,  in  its  original  volume. 


CHAPTER  V. 

DESCEND  THE  VALLEY  —  ITS  DIFFICULTIES  —  HORSE  ROLLS  DOWN 
A  PRECIPICE — PURITY  OF  THE  WATER  —  ACCIDENT  CAUSED 
THEREBY — ELKHORN  SPRING  —  TOWER  CREEK — HORSE  PLUNGES 
OVER  HIS  DEPTH  IN  FORDING,  AND  DESTROYS  WHATEVER  IS 
DELIQUESCENT  IN  HIS  PACK  —  ABSENCE  OF  ANTIQUITIES,  OR 
EVIDENCES    OF   ANCIENT   HABITATION — A   REMARKABLE   CAVERN 

PINCHED    FOR   FOOD OLD    INDIAN    LODGES THE   BEAVER A 

DESERTED    PIONEER'S    CAMP INCIDENT    OF    THE    PUMPKIN. 

Nov.  19th.  Daylight  put  us  in  motion.  It  was  determined 
to  follow  the  valley  down  in  its  involutions,  which  led  us,  gene- 
rally, south.  We  passed  over  some  fertile,  heavily  timbered 
bottoms,  where  I  observed  the  elm,  oak,  beech,  maple,  ash,  and 
sycamore.  We  had  not  left  our  camp  more  than  a  mile,  when 
we  came  to  the  first  appearance  of  the  C.  arundinacea,  or  cane, 
and  we  soon  after  reached  the  locality  of  the  greenbriar.  Tra- 
velling in  these  rich  forests  is  attended  with  great  fatigue  and 
exertion  from  the  underbrush,  particularly  from  the  thick 
growth  of  cane  and  greenbriar ;  the  latter  of  which  often  binds 
masses  of  the  fields  of  cane  together,  and  makes  it  next  to 
impossible  to  force  a  horse  through  the  matted  vegetation. 
Our  horse,  indeed,  while  he  relieved  us  from  the  burden  of  car- 
rying packs,  became  the  greatest  impediment  to  our  getting 
forward,  while  in  this  valley.  To  find  an  easier  path,  we  took 
one  of  the  summit  ranges  of  the  valley.  But  a  horse,  it  seems, 
must  have  no  climbing  to  do,  when  he  is  under  a  pack-saddle. 
We  had  not  gone  far  on  this  ridge,  when  the  animal  slipped,  or 
stumbled.  The  impetus  of  his  load  was  more  than  he  could 
resist.  The  declivity  was  steep,  but  not  precipitous,  lie 
rolled  over  and  over  for  perhaps  two  hundred  feet,  until  he 
reached  the  foot  of  the  ridge.  We  looked  with  dismay  as  he 
6*  e  (G5) 


66  ACCIDENT   TO   THE   HORSE. 

went,  and  thought  that  every  bone  in  his  body  must  have  been 
broken.  When  we  reached  him,  however,  he  was  not  dead, 
but,  with  our  aid,  got  up.  How  he  escaped  we  could  not 
divine,  but  he  looked  pleased  when  he  saw  us  come  to  his  relief, 
and  busy  ourselves  in  extricating  him.  We  unloosed  his  pack, 
and  did  all  we  could  to  restore  him.  We  could  not  find  any 
outward  bruise ;  there  was  no  cut,  and  no  blood  was  started. 
Even  a  horse  loves  sympathy.  After  a  time,  we  repacked 
him,  and  slowly  continued  our  route.  The  delay  caused  by 
this  accident,  made  this  a  short  day's  journey ;  we  did  not 
suppose  ourselves  to  have  advanced,  in  a  direct  line,  over 
twelve  miles.  The  valley  is  very  serpentine,  redoubling  on 
itself. 

Nov.  20th.  We  found  the  stream  made  up  entirely  of  pure 
springs,  gushing  from  the  gravel,  or  rocks.  Nothing  can 
exceed  the  crystal  purity  of  its  waters.  These  springs  are 
often  very  large.  We  came  to  one,  in  the  course  of  this  day, 
which  we  judged  to  be  fifty  feet  wide.  It  rushes  out  of  an 
aperture  in  the  rock,  and  joins  the  main  branch  of  the  river 
about  six  hundred  yards  below,  in  a  volume  quite  equal  to  that 
of  the  main  fork.  I  found  an  enormous  pair  of  elk's  horns 
lying  on  one  side  of  the  spring,  which  I  lifted  up  and  hung  in 
the  forks  of  a  young  oak,  and  from  this  incident  named  it  the 
Elkhorn  Spring. 

In  forcing  my  way  through  the  rank  vines,  weeds,  and  brush, 
which  encumber  the  valley  below  this  point,  I  lost  my  small 
farrier's  hammer  from  my  belt ;  a  loss  which  was  irreparable, 
as  it  was  the  only  means  we  had  of  setting  a  shoe  on  our  horse, 
and  had  also  served  on  ordinary  occasions  as  a  mineral-ham- 
mer, instead  of  the  heavier  implement  in  the  pack. 

We  often  disturbed  the  black  bear  from  his  lair  in  the  thick 
'  canebrakes,  but  travelled  with  too  much  noise  to  overtake  him. 
The  deer  frequently  bounded  across  the  valley,  while  turkey, 
squirrel,  duck,  and  smaller  game,  were  also  abundant. 

Nov.  21st.  The  bottom-lands  continued  to  improve  in  ex- 
tent and  fertility  as  we  descended.     The  stream,  as  it  wears 


PROVOKING   OCCURRENCE.  67 

its  way  into  deeper  levels  of  the  stratification  of  the  country, 
presents,  on  either  side,  high  cliffs  of  rock.  These  cliffs,  which 
consist  of  horizontal  limestone,  resting  on  sandstone,  frequently 
present  prominent  pinnacles,  resembling  ruinous  castellated 
walls.  In  some  places  they  rise  to  an  astonishing  height,  and 
they  are  uniformly  crowned  with  yellow  pines.  A  remarkable 
formation  of  this  description  appeared  to-day,  at  the  entrance 
of  a  tributary  stream  through  these  walled  cliffs,  on  the  left 
bank,  which  I  called  Tower  Creek  ;  it  impressed  one  with  the 
idea  of  the  high  walls  of  a  ruined  battlement. 

The  purity  and  transparency  of  the  water  are  so  remarka- 
ble, that  it  is  often  difficult  to  estimate  its  depth  in  the  river. 
A  striking  instance  of  this  occurred  after  passing  this  point.  I 
was  leading  the  horse.  In  crossing  from  the  east  to  the  west 
bank,  I  had  led  Butcher  to  a  spot  which  I  thought  he  could 
easily  ford,  without  reaching  above  his  knees.  He  plunged  in, 
however,  over  his  depth,  and,  swimming  across  with  his  pack, 
came  to  elevated  shores  on  the  other  side,  which  kept  him  so 
long  in  the  water,  and  we  were  detained  so  long  in  searching 
for  a  suitable  point  for  him  to  mount,  that  almost  everything 
of  a  soluble  character  in  his  pack  was  either  lost  or  damaged. 
Our  salt  and  sugar  were  mostly  spoiled  ;  our  tea  and  Indian 
meal  damaged ;  our  skins,  blankets,  and  clothing,  saturated. 
This  mishap  caused  us  a  world  of  trouble.  Though  early  in 
the  day,  we  at  once  encamped.  I  immediately  built  a  fire,  the 
horse  was  speedily  unpacked,  and  each  particular  article  was 
examined,  and  such  as  permitted  it,  carefully  dried.  This 
labor  occupied  us  till  a  late  hour  in  the  night. 

Nov.  22d.  Up  to  this  point  we  had  seen  no  Osages,  of 
whose  predatory  acts  we  had  heard  so  much  at  Potosi,  and  on 
the  sources  of  the  Maramec ;  nor  any  signs  of  their  having 
been  in  this  section  of  the  country  during  a  twelvemonth,  cer- 
tainly not  since  spring.  All  the  deserted  camps,  and  the 
evidences  of  encampment,  were  old.  The  bones  of  animals 
eaten,  found  on  the  high  plains  east  of  Calamarca,  and  at 
the  Elkhorn  spring,  were  bleached  and  dry.  Not  a  vestige 
had  appeared,  since  leaving  the  Wall-cliffs,  of  a  human  being 


68  A   NIGHT   IN   A   CAVE. 

having  recently  visited  the  country.  The  silence  and  desolate- 
ness  of  the  wilderness  reigned  around.  And  when  we  looked 
for  evidences  of  an  ancient  permanent  occupation  of  the  region 
by  man,  there  were  none  —  not  a  hillock  raised  by  human 
hands,  nor  the  smallest  object  that  could  be  deemed  antiqua- 
rian. The  only  evidences  of  ancient  action  were  those  of  a 
geological  kind — caverns,  valleys  of  denudation,  beds  of  drift, 
boulders,  water-lines  and  markings  on  the  faces  of  cliffs,  which 
betokened  oceanic  overflow  at  very  antique  or  primary  periods. 

The  difficulties  attending  our  progress  down  the  valley, 
induced  us  to  strike  out  into  the  open  prairie,  where  travelling 
was  free,  and  unimpeded  by  shrubbery  or  vines.  Nothing  but 
illimitable  fields  of  grass,  with  clumps  of  trees  here  and  there, 
met  the  eye.  We  travelled  steadily,  without  diverging  to  the 
right  or  left.  We  sometimes  disturbed  covies  of  prairie  birds; 
the  rabbit  started  from  his  sheltering  bush,  or  the  deer  enli- 
vened the  prospect.  We  had  laid  our  course  south-south-west, 
and  travelled  about  twenty  miles.  As  evening  approached, 
we  searched  in  vain  for  water,  to  encamp.  In  quest  of  it,  we 
finally  entered  a  desolate  gorge,  which  seemed,  at  some  sea- 
sons, to  have  been  traversed  by  floods,  as  it  disclosed  boulders 
and  piles  of  rubbish.  Daylight  departed  as  we  wound  our  way 
down  this  dry  gorge,  which  was  found  to  be  flanked,  as  we 
descended,  with  towering  cliffs.  In  the  meantime,  the  heavens 
became  overcast  with  dense  black  clouds,  and  rain  soon  began 
to  fall.  We  scanned  these  lofty  cliffs  closely,  as  we  were, in  a 
cavernous  limestone  country,  for  evidences  of  some  practicable 
opening  which  might  give  us  shelter  for  the  night.  At  length, 
after  daylight  had  gone,  the  dark  mouth  of  a  large  cavern 
appeared  on  our  left,  at  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet  elevation. 
The  horse  could  not  be  led  up  this  steep,  but,  by  unpacking 
him,  we  carried  the  baggage  up,  and  then  hobbled  and  belled 
the  poor  beast,  and  left  him  to  pick  a  meal  as  best  he  could  in 
this  desolate  valley.  It  was  the  best,  and  indeed  the  only 
thing,  we  could  do  for  him. 

It  was  not  long  before  I  had  a  fire  in  the  cave,  which  threw 
its  red  rays  upon  the  outlines  of  the  cavern,  in  a  manner  which 
would  have  formed  a  study  for  Michael  Angelo.     It  seemed 


CAVE    OF   TULA.  69 

that  internal  waters  had  flowed  out  of  this  cavern  for  ages, 
carrying  particle  by  particle  of  the  yielding  rock,  by  which 
vast  masses  had  been  scooped  out,  or  hung  still  in  threatening 
pendants.  Its  width  Avas  some  forty  feet,  its  height  perhaps 
double  that  space,  and  its  depth  illimitable.  A  small  stream 
of  pure  water  glided  along  its  bottom,  and  went  trickling  down 
the  cliff. 

The  accident  in  crossing  the  stream  had  saturated,  but  not 
ruined  our  tea ;  and  we  soon  had  an  infusion  of  it,  to  accom- 
pany our  evening's  frugal  repast — fox  frugal  indeed  it  became, 
in  meats  and  bread,  after  our  irreparable  loss  of  the  day  pre- 
vious. Nothing  is  more  refreshing  than  a  draught  of  tea  in 
the  wilderness,  and  one  soon  experiences  that  this  effect  is  due 
neither  to  milk  nor  sugar.  The  next  thing  to  be  done  after 
supper,  was  to  light  a  torch  and  explore  the  recesses  of  the 
cave,  lest  it  should  be  occupied  by  some  carnivorous  beasts, 
who  might  fancy  a  sleeping  traveller  for  a  night's  meal.  Sally- 
ing into  its  dark  recesses,  gun  and  torch  in  hand,  we  passed 
up  a  steep  ascent,  which  made  it  difficult  to  keep  our  feet. 
This  passage,  at  first,  turned  to  the  right,  then  narrowed,  and 
finally  terminated  in  a  low  gallery,  growing  smaller  and  smaller 
towards  its  apparent  close.  This  passage  became  too  low  to 
admit  walking,  but  by  the  light  of  our  torch,  which  threw  its 
rays  far  into  its  recesses,  there  appeared  no  possibility  of  our 
proceeding  further.  We  then  retraced  our  steps  to  our  fire  in 
the  front  of  the  cave,  where  there  were  evidences  of  Indian 
camp-fires.  We  then  replenished  our  fire  with  fuel,  and  spread 
down  our  pallets  for  the  night.  My  companion  soon  adjusted 
himself  in  a  concave  part  of  the  rock,  and  went  to  sleep.  I 
looked  out  from  the  front  of  the  cave  to  endeavor  to  see  the 
horse ;  but  although  I  caught  a  sound  of  his  bell,  nothing 
could  be  seen  but  intense  darkness.  The  rain  had  been  slight, 
and  had  abated ;  but  the  cliffs  in  front,  and  the  clouds  above 
the  narrow  valley,  rendered  it  impossible  to  see  anything 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  flickering  rays  of  our  fire.  To  its 
precincts  I  returned,  and  entered  up  my  journal  of  the  events 
of  the  day.  Our  situation,  and  the  peculiarities  of  the  scenery 
around  us,  led  me  to  reflect  on  that  mysterious  fate  which,  in 


I 


70  INSPIRED    BY   THE   MUSE. 

every  hazard,  attends  human  actions,  and,  by  the  light  of  the 
fire,  I  pencilled  the  annexed  lines,  and  clapt  down  the  cavern 
in  my  journal  as  the  Cave  of  Tula.* 

LINES    WRITTEN    IN    A    CAVE    IN    THE    WILDERNESS    OF    ARKANSAS. 

0 !  thou,  who,  clothed  in  magic  spell, 
Delight'st  in  lonely  wilds  to  dwell, 
Resting  in  rift,  or  wrapped  in  air, 
Remote  from  mortal  ken,  or  care  : 
Genius  of  caverns  drear  and  wild, 
Hear  a  suppliant  wandering  child  — 
One,  who  nor  a  wanton  calls, 
Or  intruder  in  thy  walls : 
One,  who  spills  not  on  the  plain, 
Blood  for  sport,  or  worldly  gain, 
Like  his  red  barbarian  kin, 
Deep  in  murder  —  foul  in  sin ; 
Or,  with  high,  horrific  yells, 
Rends  thy  dark  and  silent  cells ; 
But,  a  devious  traveller  nigh, 
Weary,  hungry,  parched,  and  dry  ; 
One,  who  seeks  thy  shelter  blest, 
Not  to  riot,  but  to  rest. 

Grant  me,  from  thy  crystal  rill, 

Oft  my  glittering  cup  to  fill ; 

Let  thy  dwelling,  rude  and  high, 

Make  my  nightly  canopy, 

And,  by  superhuman  walls, 

Ward  the  dew  that  nightly  falls. 

Guard  me  from  the  ills  that  creep 

On  the  houseless  traveller's  sleep  — 

From  the  ravenous  panther's  spring, 

From  the  scorpion's  poisoned  sting, 

From  the  serpent  —  reptile  curst — 

And  the  Indian's  midnight  thrust. 

Grant  me  this,  aerial  sprite, 

And  a  balmy  rest  by  night, 

Blest  by  visions  of  delight ! 

Let  me  dream  of  friendship  true, 

And  that  human  ills  are  few ; 

Let  me  dream  that  boyhood's  schemes 

Are  not,  what  I've  found  them,  dreams; 


*De  Soto. 


RETURN  TO  THE  NORTH  FORK.  71 

And  his  hopes,  however  gay, 
Have  not  flitted  fast  away. 
Let  me  dream,  I  ne'er  have  felt, 
Easg  that  pleases,  joys  that  melt; 
Or  that  I  shall  ever  find 
Honor  fair,  or  fortune  kind  ; 
Dream  that  time  shall  sweetly  fling, 
In  my  path,  perpetual  spring. 
Let  me  dream  my  bosom  never 
Felt  the  pang  from  friends  to  sever; 
Or  that  life  is  not  replete, 
Or  with  loss,  pain,  wo,  deceit. 
Let  me  dream,  misfortune's  smart 
Ne'er  hath  wrung  my  bleeding  heart; 
Nor  its  potent,  galling  sway, 
Forced  me  far,  0 !  far  away ; 
Let  me  dream  it — for  I  know, 
When  I  wake,  it  is  not  so!*  -^ 

Nov.  23d.  My  first  care  this  morning  was  to  find  Butcher, 
who  had  been  left,  last  night,  with  a  sorry  prospect.  He  was 
not  to  be  found.  I  followed  our  back  track  to  the  plains, 
whither  he  had  gone  for  his  night's  meal.  By  the  time  I 
returned  with  him,  the  forenoon  was  wellnigh  gone.  We  then 
travelled  to  the  south-east.  This  brought  us,  in  due  time. 
again  into  the  valley  of  the  North  Fork.  We  found  it  less 
encumbered  with  vines  and  thickets,  and  very  much  widened 
in  its  expansion  between  bluff  and  bluff.  We  forded  it,  and 
found,  on  its  eastern  margin,  extensive  open  oak  plains.  On 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  trees  were  marks  and  letters, 
which  proved  that  it  had  been  visited  and  singled  out  for  settle- 
ment by  some  enterprising  pioneer.  From  the  open  character 
of  the  country,  we  could  not  get  near  to  large  game ;  and  we 
now  found  that  our  supply  of  ball  and  shot  was  near  its  close. 
We  passed  down  the  valley  about  ten  miles,  and  encamped. 
Since  the  loss  of  our  corn-meal,  we  had  had  nothing  in  the 
shape  of  bread,  and  our  provisions  were  now  reduced  to  a  very 
small  quantity  of  dried  meat.     We  had   expected,  for  some 

*  These  lines  were  published  in  the  Belles-Lettres  Repository  in  1821, 
and  shortly  after,  with  a  commendation,  in  the  New  York  Statesman. 


72  SCARCITY    OF   FOOD. 

days,  to  have  reached  either  Indian  or  white  hunters'  camps. 
Our  anxiety   on   this    head  now  became   intense.     Prudence , 
required,  however,  that,  small  as  our  stores  were,  they  should  I 
he  divided  with  strict  reference  to  the  probability  of  our  not 
meeting  with  hunters,  or  getting  relief,  for  two  or  three  days. 

Nov.  24th.  The  stick  frames,  without  bark,  of  several 
Indian  lodges,  were  passed  to-day,  denoting  that  they  had  not 
been  recently  occupied.  Travelling  down  the  opposite  side 
of  the  vale  from  that  taken  by  my  companion,  who  had  charge 
of  the  horse,  I  came  to  a  point  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  where 
I  discovered  two  grown  beavers  sporting  in  the  stream.  The 
tail  of  this  animal,  which  appears  clumsy  and  unwieldy  in  the 
dead  specimen,  gives  the  animal  a  graceful  appearance  in  the 
water,  where  it  makes  him  appear  to  have  a  very  elongated 
body.  After  diving  about  for  some  time,  they  came  to  the 
shore,  and  sat  in  front  of  their  wauzh,  as  it  is  termed  by  the 
Algonquins,  or  lodge,  which  in  this  case  was  a  fissure  in  the 
rock.  I  was  perfectly  screened  by  a  point  of  the  rock  from 
their  view,  and  sat  with  my  gun  cocked,  reserving  my  fire,  a 
few  moments,  the  more  perfectly  to  observe  them,  when  both 
animals,  at  the  same  instant,  darted  into  their  holes. 

Under  the  influence  of  a  keen  appetite,  and  a  tolerably  open 
forest,  we  pressed  on,  this  day,  about  fifteen  miles ;  the  horse 
being,  as  usual,  our  chief  hindrance. 

Nov.  25th.  I  took  the  horse's  bridle  over  my  arm  this 
morning,  and  had  proceeded  through  open  woods  about  ten 
miles,  when  we  descried,  from  a  little  summit,  a  hut  in  the 
distance,  which  had  some  traits  of  the  labor  of  white  men. 
This  gave  animation  to  our  steps,  in  the  hope  of  finding  it 
occupied.  But,  as  we  approached,  we  could  discern  no  smoke 
risino-  up  as  the  sign  of  occupancy,  and  were  disappointed  to 
find  it  an  abortive  effort  of  some  pioneer,  and,  at  the  moment, . 
called  it  Camp  No.  We  afterwards  learned  that  it  had 
been  constructed  by  one  Martin,  who,  as  there  was  not  a  foot 
of  land  in  cultivation,  had  probably  aimed  to  subsist  by  the 
chase  alone.     The  location  was  well  chosen.     A  large  cane- 


INCIDENT   OF   THE   PUMPKIN.  73 

brake  flanked  the  river,  sufficient  to  give  range  to  horses  and 
cattle.  A  little  tributary  stream  bounded  a  fertile  piece  of 
upland,  east  of  this.  The  hut  was  built  of  puncheons,  sup- 
ported on  one  side  by  a  rude  ridge-pole,  leaving  the  front  of  it 
open,  forming  a  shed  which  had  a  roof  and  floor.  But  the 
stream  had  now  dried  up.  We  found  a  plant  of  cotton,  boiled 
out,  among  the  adjacent  weeds,  which  proved  the  soil  and 
climate  suitable  to  its  culture.  We  were  now  well  within  the 
probable  limits  of  Arkansas. 

It  was  determined  to  encamp  at  this  spot,  turn  the  horse 
into  the  adjacent  canebrake,  where  the  leaves  were  green,  to 
deposit  our  baggage  and  camp  apparatus  in  one  corner  of  the 
hut,  and,  after  making  light  packs,  to  take  our  arms,  and  pro- 
ceed in  search  of  settlements.  This  required  a  little  time. 
To  reach  a  point  where  civilization  had  once  tried  to  get  a 
foothold,  however,  was  something ;  and  we  consoled  ourselves 
with  the  reflection  that  we  could  not  be  remote  from  its  skirts. 

The  next  day  (26th)  I  made  an  excursion  west  of  the  river, 
from  our  position,  about  five  miles,  to  determine  satisfactorily 
our  situation.  I  found,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  a 
little  higher  up,  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  another  small  (white 
man's)  hut,  which  had  also  been  abandoned.  In  a  small  patch 
of  ground,  which  had  once  been  cleared,  there  grew  a  pumpkin 
vine,  which  then  had  three  pumpkins.  This  was  a  treasure, 
which  I  at  once  secured.  I  found  that  one  of  them  had  been 
partially  eaten  by  some  wild  animal,  and  determined  to  give  it 
to  my  horse,  but  could  not  resist  the  inclination  first  to  cut  off 
a  few  slices,  which  I  ate  raw  with  the  greatest  appetite.  The 
taste  seemed  delicious.  I  had  not  before  been  aware  that  my 
appetite  had  become  so  keen  by  fasting ;  for  we  had  had  but 
little  to  eat  for  many  days.  Between  the  horse  and  myself, 
we  finished  it,  and  had  quite  a  sociable  time  of  it.  With  the 
other  two,  which  were  the  largest,  I  rode  back  to  camp,  where, 
having  a  small  camp-kettle,  we  boiled  and  despatched  them, 
without  meat  or  bread,  for  supper.  It  does  not  require  much 
to  make  one  happy ;  for,  in  this  instance,  our  little  luck  put  us  | 
in  the  best  of  humor. 
7 


CHAPTER   VI. 

ABANDON  OUR  CAMP  AND  HORSE  IN  SEARCH  OF  SETTLEMENTS  — 
INCIDENTS  OF  THE  FIRST  DAY — HEAR  A  SHOT  —  CAMP  IN  AN 
OLD  INDIAN  LODGE — ACORNS  FOR  SUPPER — KILL  A  WOODPECKER 
— INCIDENTS  OF  THE  SECOND  DAY — STERILE  RIDGES — WANT  OF 
WATER — CAMP  AT  NIGHT  IN  A  DEEP  GORGE — INCIDENTS  OF  THE 
THIRD  DAY — FIND  A  HORSE-PATH,  AND  PURSUE  IT — DISCOVER 
A  MAN  ON  HORSEBACK — REACH  A  HUNTER'S  CABIN — INCIDENTS 
THERE — HE  CONDUCTS  US  BACK  TO  OUR  OLD  CAMP — DESERTED 
THERE  WITHOUT  PROVISIONS  —  DEPLORABLE  STATE — SHIFTS  — 
TAKING   OF   A   TURKEY. 

Nov.  27th.  Action  is  the  price  of  safety  in  the  woods. 
Neither  dreams  nor  poetic  visions  kept  us  on  our  pallets  a  mo- 
ment longer  than  it  was  light  enough  to  see  the  grey  tints  of 
morning.  Each  of  us  prepared  a  compact  knapsack,  contain- 
ing a  blanket  and  a  few  absolute  necessaries,  and  gave  our 
belts  an  extra  jerk  before  lifting  our  guns  to  our  shoulders ; 
then,  secretly  wishing  our  friend  Butcher  a  good  time  in  the 
canebrake,  we  set  out  with  a  light  pace  towards  the  south. 
My  companion  Bonee*  was  much  attached  to  tea,  and,  as  the 
article  of  a  small  tin  pot  was  indispensable  to  the  enjoyment 
of  this  beverage,  he  burthened  himself  with  this  appendage  by 
strapping  it  on  his  back  with  a  green  sash.  This  was  not  a 
very  military  sort  of  accoutrement ;  but  as  he  did  not  pride 
himself  in  that  way,  and  had  not,  in  fact,  the  least  notion  of 
the  ridiculous  figure  he  cut  with  it,  I  was  alone  in  my  unex- 
pressed sense  of  the  Friday ishn ess  of  his  looks  on  the  march, 
day  by  day,  across  the  prairies  and  through  the  woods,  with  this 
not  very  glittering  culinary  appendage  dangling  at  his  back. 

*  Elision  of  Pettibone. 

(74) 


A    DISAPPOINTMENT.  75 

Hope  gave  animation*-  to  our  steps.  We  struck  out  from  the 
valley  southerly,  which  brought  us  to  an  elevated  open  tract, 
partially  wooded,  in  which  the  walking  was  good.  After  tra- 
velling about  six  miles,  we  heard  the  report  of  a  gun  on  our 
left.  Supposing  it  to  proceed  from  some  white  hunter,  we  tried 
to  get  into  communication  with  him,  and  hallooed  stoutly. 
This  was  answered.  I  withdrew  the  ball  from  my  gun,  and 
fired.  We  then  followed  the  course  of  the  shot  and  halloo. 
But,  although  a  whoop  was  once  heard,  which  seemed  from  its 
intonation  to  be  Indian,  we  were  unsuccessful  in  gaining  an 
interview,  and,  after  losing  a  good  deal  of  time  in  the  effort, 
were  obliged  to  give  it  up,  and  proceed.  We  had  now  lost 
some  hours. 

Much  of  our  way  lay  through  open  oak  forests,  with  a  thick 
bed  of  fallen  leaves,  and  we  several  times  searched  under  these 
for  sweet  acorns  ;  but  we  uniformly  found  that  the  wild  turkeys 
had  been  too  quick  for  us  —  every  sweet  acorn  had  been 
scratched  up  and  eaten,  and  none  remained  but  such  as  were 
bitter  and  distasteful.  On  descending  an  eminence,  we  found 
the  sassafras  plentifully,  and,  breaking  off  branches  of  it, 
chewed  them,  which  took  away  the  astringent  and  bad  taste 
of  the  acorns. 

As  night  approached,  we  searched  in  vain  for  water  on  the 
elevated  grounds,  and  were  compelled  to  seek  the  river  valley, 
where  we  encamped  in  an  old  Indian  wigwam  of  bark,  and 
found  the  night  chilly  and  cold.  We  turned  restlessly  on  our 
pallets,  waiting  for  day. 

Nov.  28th.  Daylight  was  most  welcome.  I  built  a  fire 
against  the  stump  of  a  dead  tree,  which  had  been  broken  off 
by  lightning  at  a  height  of  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the 
ground.  We  here  boiled  our  tea,  and  accurately  divided  about 
half  an  ounce  of  dried  meat,  being  the  last  morsel  we  had. 
While  thus  engaged,  a  red-headed  woodpecker  lit  on  the  tree, 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  our  heads,  and  began  peck- 
ing. The  visit  was  a  most  untimely  one  for  the  bird.  In  a 
few  more  moments,  he  lay  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and, 
being  plucked,  roasted,  and  divided,  furnished  out  our  repast. 


/ 


76  MAKE  A  MEAL  OF  HICKORY  NUTS. 

We  then  gave  the  straps  of  our  accoutrements  a  tight  jerk,  by 
way  of  preventing  a  flaccid  stomach — an  Indian  habit  —  and 
set  forward  with  renewed  strength  and  hope.  We  travelled 
this  day  over  a  rolling  country  of  hill  and  dale,  with  little  to 
relieve  the  eye  or  demand  observation,  and  laid  down  at  night, 
fatigued,  in  the  edge  of  a  canebrake. 

Nov.  29th.  A  dense  fog,  which  overhung  the  whole  valley, 
prevented  our  quitting  camp  at  a  very  early  hour.  When  it 
arose,  and  the  atmosphere  became  sufficiently  clear  to  discern 
our  way,  we  ascended  the  hills  to  our  left,  and  took  a  west- 
south-west  course. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  roughness  and  sterility  of  the  coun- 
try we  have  to-day  traversed,  and  the  endless  succession  of 
steep  declivities,  and  broken,  rocky  precipices,  surmounted. 
Our  line  of  march,  as  soon  as  we  left  the  low  grounds  of  the 
river  valley,  led  over  moderately  elevated  ridges  of  oak-open- 
ings. We  came  at  length  to  some  hickory  trees.  Beneath 
one  of  them,  the  nuts  laid  in  quantities  on  the  ground.  We 
sat  down,  and  diligently  commenced  cracking  them ;  but  this 
was  soon  determined  to  be  too  slow  a  process  to  satisfy  hungry 
men,  and,  gathering  a  quantity  for  our  night's  encampment, 
we  pushed  forward  diligently.  Tramp  !  tramp  !  tramp  !  we 
walked  resolutely  on,  in  a  straight  line,  over  hill  and  dale. 
Trees,  rocks,  prairie-grass,  the  jumping  squirrel,  the  whirring 
quail — we  gave  them  a  glance,  and  passed  on.  We  finally  saw 
the  sun  set ;  evening  threw  its  shades  around ;  night  presented 
its  sombre  hue ;  and,  as  it  grew  dark,  it  became  cloudy  and 
cold.  Still,  no  water  to  encamp  by  was  found,  and  it  finally 
became  so  dark  that  we  were  forced  to  grope-  our  way.  By 
groping  in  the  darkness,  we  at  length  stood  on  the  brink  of  a 
precipice,  and  could  distinctly  hear  the  gurgling  sound  of  run- 
ning water  in  the  gulf  below.  It  was  a  pleasing  sound ;  for 
we  had  not  tasted  a  drop  since  early' dawn.  Had  we  still  had 
our  horse,  we  should  not  have  been  able  to  get  him  down  in 
the  darkness ;  but,  by  seizing  hold  of  bushes,  and  feeling  our 
way  continually,  we  reached  the  bottom,  and  encamped  imme- 
diately by  the  stream.     It  was  a  small  run  of  pure  mountain 


, 


WELCOME   SIGHT.  77 

water.  Soon  a  fire  arose  on  its  banks.  We  cracked  a  few  of 
the  nuts.  We  drank  our  accustomed  tin-cup  of  tea.  We 
wrapped  ourselves  in  our  blankets  upon  its  immediate  margin, 
and  knew  no  more  till  early  daylight,  when  a  cold  air  had  quite 
chilled  us. 

Nov.  30th.  We  were  happy  to  get  out  of  this  gulf  at  the 
earliest  dawn.  After  travelling  a  couple  of  miles,  we  stepped 
suddenly  into  a  well-beaten  horse-path,  running  transversely 
to  our  course,  with  fresh  horse-tracks  leading  both  ways.  We 
stopped  to  deliberate  which  end  of  the  path  to  take.  I  thought 
the  right-hand  would  conduct  us  to  the  mouth  of  the  river 
which  we  had  been  pursuing  down,  where  it  could  hardly  fail 
there  should  be  hunters  or  pioneer  settlers  located.  My  com- 
panion thought  the  left  hand  should  be  taken,  without  offering 
any  satisfactory  reason  for  it.  I  determined,  in  an  instant,  to 
rise  above  him  mentally,  by  yielding  the  point,  and  set  out  with 
a  firm  and  ready  pace  to  the  left.  We  travelled  diligently 
about  three  miles  without  meeting  anything  to  note,  but  were 
evidently  going  back  into  the  wilderness  we  had  just  left,  by  a 
wider  circuit,  when  my  companion  relented,  and  we  turned 
about  on  our  tracks  toward  the  mouth  of  the  river.  We  had 
not  gone  far,  and  had  not  yet  reached  the  point  of  our  original 
issue  from  the  forest,  when  we  descried  a  man  on  horseback, 
coming  toward  us.  Joy  flashed  in  our  eyes.  When  he  came 
up,  he  told  us  that  there  was  a  hunter  located  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  another,  named  Wells,  nearly  equidistant  on  the 
path  he  was  pursuing ;  and  that,  if  we  would  follow  him,  he 
would  guide  us  to  the  latter.  This  we  immediately  determined 
to  do,  and,  after  travelling  about  seven  miles,  came  in  sight 
of  the  cabin. 

Our  approach  was  announced  by  a  loud  and  long-continued 
barking  of  dogs,  who  required  frequent  bidding  from  their  mas- 
ter before  they  could  be  pacified.  The  first  object  worthy  of  re- 
mark that  presented  itself  on  our  emerging  from  the  forest,  was 
a  number  of  deer,  bear,  and  other  skins,  fastened  to  a  kind  of 
rude  frame,  supported  by  poles,  which  occupied  the  area  about 

the  house.     These  trophies  of  skill  in  the  chase  were  regarded 

7  * 


78  REACH   A   HUNTER'S    CABIN. 

with  groat  complacency  by  our  conductor,  as  he  pointed  them 
out,  and  he  remarked  that  Wells  was  "  a  great  hunter,  and  a 
forehanded  man."  There  were  a  number  of  acres  of  ground, 
from  which  he  had  gathered  a  crop  of  corn.  The  house  was  a 
substantial,  new-built  log  tenement,  of  one  room.  The  family 
consisted  of  the  hunter  and  his  wife,  and  four  or  five  children, 
two  of  whom  were  men  grown,  and  the  youngest  a  boy  of  about 
sixteen.  All,  males  and  females,  were  dressed  in  leather  pre- 
pared from  deer-skins.  The  host  himself  was  a  middle-sized, 
light-limbed,  sharp-faced  man.  Around  the  walls  of  the  room 
hung  horns  of  the  deer  and  buffalo,  with  a  rifle,  shot-pouches, 
leather  coats,  dried  meats,  and  other  articles,  giving  unmis- 
takeable  signs  of  the  vocation  of  our  host.  The  furniture  was 
of  his  own  fabrication.  On  one  side  hung  a  deerskin,  sewed 
up  in  somewhat  the  shape  of  the  living  animal,  containing 
bears'  oil.  In  another  place  hung  a  similar  vessel,  filled  with 
wild  honey. 

All  the  members  of  the  family  seemed  erudite  in  the  know- 
ledge of  woodcraft,  the  ranges  and  signs  of  animals,  and  their 
food  and  habits  ;  and  while  the  wife  busied  herself  in  preparing 
our  meal,  she  occasionally  stopped  to  interrogate  us,  or  take 
part  in  the  conversation.  When  she  had  finished  her  prepa- 
rations, she  invited  us  to  sit  down  to  a  delicious  meal  of  warm 
corn-bread  and  butter,  honey  and  milk,  to  which  we  did  ample 
justice.     A  more  satisfactory  meal  I  never  made. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  our  supper  was  prepared, 
and  we  spent  the  evening  in  giving  and  receiving  information 
of  the  highest  practical  interest  to  each  party.  Wells  recited 
a  number  of  anecdotes  of  hunting,  and  of  his  domestic  life. 
We  repaid  him  with  full  accounts  of  our  adventures.  What 
appeared  to  interest  him  most,  was  the  accounts  of  the  bears 
and  other  wild  animals  we  had  seen.  When  the  hour  for  rest 
arrived,  we  opened  our  sacks,  and,  spreading  our  blankets  on 
a  bearskin  which  he  furnished,  laid  down  before  the  fire,  and 
enjoyed  a  sound  night's  repose. 

Dec.  1st.  We  were  up  with  the  earliest  dawning  of  light, 
and  determined  to  regain  our  position  at  Camp  No,  on  the 


RETURN   TO    OUR   CAMP.  79 

Great  North  Fork,  with  all  possible  despatch,  and  pursue  our 
tour  westward.     We  had  understood  from  the  conversation  of 
the  hunters  among  themselves,  that  they  designed  forthwith  to 
proceed  on  a  hunting  excursion  into  the  region  we  had  passed, 
on  the  Great  North  Fork,  and  determined  to  avail  ourselves 
of  their  guidance  to  our  deposits  and  horse.     We  understood 
that  our  course  from  that  point  had  been  circuitous,  and  that 
the  place  could  be  reached  by  a  direct  line  of  twenty  miles' 
travel  due  north-west.     We  purchased  from  our  host  a  dressed 
deerskin  for  moccasins,  a  small  quantity  of  Indian  corn,  some 
wild  honey,  and  a  little  lead.     The  corn  required  pounding  to 
convert  it  into  meal.     This  we  accomplished  by  a  pestle,  fixed 
to  a  loaded  swing-pole,  playing  into  a  mortar  burned  into  an 
oak  stump.     The  payment  for  these  articles,  being  made  in 
money,  excited  the  man's  cupidity ;  for,  although  he  had  pre- 
viously determined  on  going  in  that  direction,  he  now  refused 
to  guide  us  to  Camp  No,  unless  paid  for  it.     This  was  also 
assented  to,  with  the  agreement  to  furnish  us  with  the  carcase 
of  a  deer. 

By  eleven  o'clock,  A.  M.,  all  was  ready,  and,  shouldering 
our  knapsacks  and  guns,  we  set  forward,  accompanied  by  our 
host,  his  three  sons,  and  a  neighbor,  making  our  party  to  con- 
sist of  seven  men,  all  mounted  on  horses  but  ourselves,  and 
followed  by  a  pack  of  hungry,  yelping  dogs.  Our  course  was 
due  north-west.  As  we  were  heavily  laden  and  sore-footed, 
our  shoes  being  literally  worn  from  our  feet  by  the  stony  tracts 
we  had  passed  over,  the  cavalcade  were  occasionally  obliged  to 
halt  till  we  came  up.  This  proved  such  a  cause  of  delay  to 
them,  that  they  finally  agreed  to  let  us  ride  and  walk,  alter- 
nately, with  the  young  men.  In  this  way  we  passed  over  an 
undulating  tract,  not  heavily  timbered,  until  about  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  when  we  reached  our  abandoned  camp,  where  we 
found  our  baggage  safe.  A  couple  of  the  men  had  been  de- 
tached from  the  party,  early  in  the  morning,  to  hunt  the  stipu- 
lated deer  ;  but  they  did  not  succeed  in  finding  any,  and  came 
in  long  before  us,  with  a  pair  of  turkeys.  One  of  these  we 
despatched  for  supper,  and  then  all  betook  themselves  to 
repose. 


80  DESERTED   BY   OUR   GUIDES. 

Dec.  2d.  One  of  the  first  objects  that  presented  itself  this 
morning  was  our  horse  Butcher,  from  the  neighboring  cane- 
brake,  "who  did  not  seem  to  have  well  relished  his  fare  on  cane 
leaves,  and  stood  doggedly  in  front  of  our  cabin,  with  a  per- 
tinacity which  seemed  to  say,  "  Give  me  my  portion  of  corn." 
Poor  animal !  he  had  not  thriven  on  the  sere  grass  and  scanty 
water  of  the  Ozarks,  where  he  had  once  tumbled  down  the 
sides  of  a  cliff  with  a  pack  on,  been  once  plunged  in  the  river 
beyond  his  depth,  and  often  struggled  with  the  tangled  green- 
briar  of  the  valleys,  which  held  him  by  the  foot.  With  every 
attention,  he  had  fallen  away ;  and  he  seemed  to  anticipate 
that  he  was  yet  destined  to  become  wolf's-meat  on  the  prairies. 

The  hunters  were  up  with  the  earliest  dawn,  and  several  of 
them  went  out  in  quest  of  game,  recollecting  their  promise  to 
us  on  that  head ;  but  they  all  returned  after  an  absence  of  a 
couple  of  hours,  unsuccessful.  By  this  time  we  had  cooked 
the  other  turkey  for  breakfast,  which  just  sufficed  for  the  occa- 
sion. The  five  men  passed  a  few  moments  about  the  fire,  then 
suddenly  caught  and  saddled  their  horses,  and,  mounting  toge- 
ther, bid  us  good  morning,  and  rode  off.  We  were  taken  quite 
aback  by  this  movement,  supposing  that  they  would  have  felt 
under  obligation,  as  they  had  been  paid  for  it,  to  furnish  us 
some  provisions.  We  looked  intently  after  them,  as  they  rode 
up  the  long  sloping  eminence  to  the  north  of  us.  They 
brought  forcibly  to  my  mind  the  theatrical  representation,  in 
the  background,  of  the  march  of  the  Forty  Thieves,  as  they 
wind  down  the  mountain,  before  they  present  themselves  at  the 
front  of  the  cave,  with  its  charmed  gates.  But  there  was  no 
"  open  sesame  !"  for  us.  Cast  once  more  on  our  own  resources 
in  the  wilderness,  the  alternative  seemed  to  be  pressed  upon 
our  minds,  very  forcibly,  "hunt  or  starve."  Serious  as  the  cir- 
cumstances appeared,  yet,  when  we  reflected  upon  their  man- 
ners and  conversation,  their  obtuseness  to  just  obligation,  their 
avarice,  and  their  insensibility  to  our  actual  wants,  we  could 
not  help  rejoicing  that  they  were  gone. 

Dec.  3d.  Left  alone,  we  began  to  reflect  closely  on  our 
situation,  and  the  means  of  extricating  ourselves  from  this 


SHOOT   A   TURKEY.  81 

position.     If  we  had  called  it  camp  "  No"  from  our  disappoint- 
ment at  not  finding  it  inhabited  on  our  first  arrival,  it  was  now 
again  appropriately  camp  "No,"  from  not  obtaining  adecpuate 
relief  from  the  hunters.     We  had  procured  a  dressed  buckskin 
for  making  moccasins.     We  had  a  little  pounded  corn,  in  a 
shape  to  make  hunters'  bread.     We  had  not  a  mouthful  of 
meat.     I  devoted  part  of  the  day  to  making  a  pair  of  Indian 
shoes.     We  had  not  a  single  charge  of  shot  left.     We  had 
procured   lead   enough  to  mould  just  five   bullets.      This   I 
carefully  did.     I  then  sallied  out  in  search  of  game,  scanning 
cautiously  the  neighboring  canebrake,  and  fired,  at  different 
times,  three  balls,  unsuccessfully,  at  turkeys.     It  was  evident, 
as  I  had  the  birds  within  range,  that  my  gun  had  been  sprung 
in  the  heavy  fall  I  had  had,  as  before  related,  in  the  cross- 
ing Calamarca.     My  companion  then  took  his  gun,  and  also 
made   an  unsuccessful  shot.      When    evening    approached,   a 
flock  of  turkeys  came  to  roost  near  by.     We  had  now  just  one 
ball  left ;  everything  depended  on  that.     I  took  it  to  the  large 
and  firm  stump  of  an  oak,  and  cut  it  into  exactly  thirty-two 
pieces,  with  geometrical  precision.     I  then  beat  the  angular 
edges  of  each,  until  they  assumed  a  sufficiently  globular  shape 
to  admit  of  their  being  rolled  on  a  hard  surface,  under  a  pres- 
sure.    This  completed  their  globular  form.     I  then  cleansed 
my  companion's  gun,  and  carefully  loaded  it  with  the  thirty- 
two  shot.     We  then  proceeded  to  the  roost,  which  was  on 
some  large   oaks,  in  a  contiguous  valley.     I  carried  a  torch, 
which  I  had  carefully  made  at  the  camp.     My  companion  took 
the  loaded  gun,  and  I,  holding  the  torch  near  the  sights  at  the 
same  time,  so  that  its  rays  fell  directly  on  the  birds,  he  selected 
one,  and  fired.     It  proved  to  be  one  of  the  largest  and  hea- 
viest, and  fell  to  the  earth  with  a  sound.     We  now  returned  to 
camp,  and  prepared  a  part  of  it  for  supper,  determining  to 
husband  the  remainder  so  as  to  last  till  we  should  reach  settle- 
ments by  holding  a  due  west  course. 

Dec.  4th.     We  had  prepared  ourselves  to  start  west  this 
day ;  but  it  rained  from  early  dawn  to  dark,  which  confined  us 


82  rREPARE  FOR  A.  FRESH  SALLY. 

closely  to  our  cabin.  Rain  is  one  of  the  greatest  annoyances 
to  the  woodsman.  Generally,  he  has  no  shelter  against  it,  and 
must  sit  in  it,  ride  in  it,  or  walk  in  it.  Where  there  is  no 
shelter,  the  two  latter  are  preferable.  But,  as  we  had  a  split- 
board  roof,  we  kept  close,  and  busied  ourselves  with  more  per- 
fect preparations  for  our  next  sally.  I  had  some  minerals  that 
admitted  of  being  more  closely  and  securely  packed,  and  gladly 
availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  accomplish  it.  Our  foot 
and  leg  gear,  also,  required  renovating.  Experience  had  been 
our  best  teacher  from  the  first ;  and  hunger  and  danger  kept 
us  perpetually  on  the  qui  vive,  and  made  us  wise  in  little 
expedients. 


• 


«*»• 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PROCEED   WEST BOG   OUR    HORSE  —  CROSS    THE    KNIFE    HILLS  — 

REACH    THE     UNICA,    OR    WHITE    RIVER ABANDON    THE    HORSE 

AT   A    HUNTER'S,    AND    PROCEED    WITH    PACKS OBJECTS    OE   PITY 

SUGAR-LOAF    PRAIRIE CAMP    UNDER    A     CLIFF FORD    THE 

UNICA     TWICE DESCEND     INTO     A     CAVERN REACH     BEAVER 

RIVER,     THE     HIGHEST     POINT     OF     OCCUPANCY     BY     A     HUNTER 
POPULATION. 

Dec.  5th.  The  rain  ceased  during  the  night,  and  left  us  a 
clear  atmosphere  in  the  morning.  At  an  early  hour  we  com- 
pleted the  package  of  the  horse,  and,  taking  the  reins,  I  led 
him  to  the  brink  of  the  river,  and  with  difficulty  effected  a 
passage.  The  cliffs  which  formed  the  western  side  of  the  val- 
ley, presented  an  obstacle  not  easily  surmounted.  By  leading 
the  animal  in  a  zigzag  course,  however,  this  height  was  finally 
attained.  The  prospect,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was 
discouraging.  Hill  on  hill  rose  before  us,  with  little  timber,  it 
is  true,  to  impede  us,  but  implying  a  continual  necessity  of 
crossing  steeps  and  depressions.  After  encountering  this 
rough  surface  about  two  miles,  we  came  into  a  valley  having  a 
stream  tributary  to  the  Great  North  Fork  of  White  river,  which 
we  had  quitted  that  morning,  but  at  a  higher  point.  In  this 
sub-valley  we  found  our  way  impeded  by  another  difficulty  — 
namely,  the  brush  and  small  canes  that  grew  near  the  brook. 
To  avoid  this  impediment,  I  took  the  horse  across  a  low  piece 
of  ground,  having  a  thicket,  but  which  appeared  to  be  firm. 
In  this  I  was  mistaken ;  for  the  animal's  feet  soon  began  to 
sink,  and  ere  long  he  stuck  fast.  The  effort  to  extricate  him 
but  served  to  sink  him  deeper,  and,  by  pawing  to  get  out,  he 
continually  widened  the  slough  in  which  he  had  sunk.     We 

(83) 


84  ACCIDENT   TO   THE   HORSE. 

then  obtained  poles,  and  endeavored  to  pry  him  up ;  but  our 
own  footing  was  continually  giving  way,  and  we  at  length  be- 
held him  in  a  perfect  slough  of  soft  black  mud.  After  getting 
his  pack  off,  we  decided  to  leave  him  to  his  fate.  We  carried 
the  pack  to  dry  ground,  on  one  side  of  the  valley,  and  spread 
the  articles  out,  not  without  deeply  regretting  the  poor  beast's 
plight.  But  then  it  occurred  to  us  that,  if  the  horse  were 
abandoned,  we  must  also  abandon  our  camp-kettle,  large  axe, 
beds,  and  most  of  our  camp  apparatus ;  and  another  and  con- 
centrated effort  was  finally  resolved  on.  To  begin,  we  cut 
down  two  tall  saplings,  by  means  of  which  the  horse  was  pried 
up  from  the  bottom  of  the  slough.  He  was  then  grasped  by 
the  legs  and  turned  over,  which  brought  his  feet  in  contact 
with  the  more  solid  part  of  the  ground.  A  determined  effort, 
both  of  horse  and  help,  now  brought  him  to  his  feet.  He 
raised  himself  up,  and,  by  pulling  with  all  our  might,  we 
brought  him  on  dry  ground.  I  then  led  him  gently  to  our 
place  of  deposit,  and,  by  means  of  bunches  of  sere  grass,  we 
both  busied  ourselves  first  to  rub  off  the  mud  and  wet,  and 
afterwards  to  groom  him,  and  rub  him  dry.  When  he  was 
properly  restored,  it  was  found  that  he  was  able  to  carry  his 
pack-saddle  and  pack ;  and  he  was  led  slowly  up  the  valley 
about  three  miles,  where  we  encamped.  The  grass  in  this 
little  valley  was  of  a  nourishing  quality,  and  by  stopping  early 
we  allowed  him  to  recruit  himself.  We  did  not  estimate  our 
whole  distance  this  day  at  more  than  nine  miles. 

Dec.  6th.  Butcher  had  improved  his  time  well  in  the  tender 
grass  during  the  night,  and  presented  a  more  spirited  appear- 
ance in  the  morning.  We  were  now  near  the  head  of  Bogbrook, 
which  we  had  been  following ;  and  as  we  quitted  its  sides,  long 
to  be  remembered  for  our  mishap,  we  began  to  ascend  an  ele- 
vated and  bleak  tract  of  the  Mocama  or  Knife  hills,  so  called, 
over  which  the  winds  rushed  strongly  as  we  urged  our  way. 
Few  large  trees  were  seen  on  these  eminences,  which  were 
often  bare,  with  a  hard  cherty  footing,  replaced  sometimes  by 
clusters  of  brambles  and  thickets.  In  one  of  these,  a  valuable 
couteau  de  chasse  was  swept  from  its  sheath  at  my  side,  and 


DISMAL    PROSPECT.  85 

lost.  I  was  now  reduced  to  a  single  knife,  of  the  kind  fabri- 
cated for  the  Indians,  under  the  name  of  scalper.  For  a  dis- 
tance of  sixteen  miles  we  held  on  our  way,  in  a  west-south-west 
course,  turning  neither  to  the  right  nor  left.  As  night  ap- 
proached, we  found  ourselves  descending  into  a  considerable 
valley,  caused  by  a  river.  The  shrubbery  and  grass  of  its 
banks  had  been  swept  by  fire  in  the  fall,  and  a  new  crop  of 
grass  was  just  rising.  We  formed  our  encampment  in  this 
fire-swept  area,  which  afforded  Butcher  another  benefit,  and 
made  some  amends  for  his  scanty  fare  among  the  bleak  emi- 
nences of  the  Ozarks.  This  stream  proved  to  be  the  Little 
North  Fork  of  White  river.  We  here  despatched  the  last 
morsel  of  our  turkey. 

Dec.  7th.  The  ascent  of  the  hills  which  bounded  the  valley 
on  the  south-west  was  found  to  be  very  difficult ;  and  when  the 
summit  was  reached,  there  spread  before  us  an  extensive 
prairie,  of  varied  surface.  Trees  occasionally  appeared,  but 
were  in  no  place  so  thickly  diffused  as  to  prevent  the  growth 
of  a  beautiful  carpet  of  prairie  grass.  When  we  had  gone 
about  six  miles,  a  bold  mound-like  hill  rose  on  our  left,  which 
seemed  a  favorable  spot  for  getting  a  view  of  the  surrounding 
country.  We  had  been  told  by  the  hunters  that  in  travelling 
fifteen  miles  about  west,  we  should  reach  a  settlement  at  Sugar- 
loaf  Prairie,  on  the  main  channel  of  the  Unica  or  White  river. 
But  on  reaching  the  summit  of  this  natural  lookout,  we  could 
descry  nothing  that  betokened  human  habitation.  As  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  prairies  and  groves  filled  the  undulating 
vista.  On  reaching  its  foot  again,  where  our  horse  was  tied, 
we  changed  our  course  to  the  south,  believing  that  our  direc- 
tions had  been  vague.  We  had  gone  about  a  mile  in  this  direc- 
tion, when  we  entered  a  faint  and  old  horse-path.  This  gave 
animation  to  our  steps.  We  pursued  it  about  three  miles, 
when  it  fell  into  another  and  plainer  path,  having  the  fresh 
tracks  of  horses.  We  were  now  on  elevated  ground,  which 
commanded  views  of  the  country  all  around.  Suddenly  the 
opposite  side  of  a  wide  valley  appeared  to  open  far  beneath 
us,  and,  stepping  forward  the  better  to  scan  it,  the  river  of 
8 


86  REACH   A    SETTLEMENT. 

which  we  were  in  search  presented  its  bright,  broad,  and  placid 
surface  to  our  view,  at  several  hundred  feet  below.  We  stood 
admiringly  on  the  top  of  a  high,  rocky,  and  precipitous  cliff. 
'  Instinctively  to  shout,  was  my  first  impulse.  My  companion, 
as  he  came  up,  also  shouted.  We  had  reached  the  object  of 
our  search. 

Pursuing  the  brow  of  the  precipice  about  a  mile,  a  log  build- 
ing and  some  fields  were  discovered  on  the  opposite  bank.  On 
descending  the  path  whose  traces  we  had  followed,  it  brought 
us  to  a  ford.  We  at  once  prepared  to  cross  the  river,  which 
was  four  or  five  hundred  yards  wide,  reaching,  in  some  places, 
half-leg  high.  On  ascending  the  opposite  bank,  we  came  to 
the  house  of  a  Mr.  M'Garey,  who  received  us  with  an  air  of 
hospitality,  and  made  us  welcome  to  his  abode.  He  had  seve- 
ral grown  so.ns,  who  were  present,  and  who,  as  we  found  by 
their  costume  and  conversation,  were  hunters.  Mrs.  M'G.  was 
engaged  in  trying  bears'  fat,  and  in  due  time  she  invited  us  to 
sit  down  to  a  meal  of  these  scraps,  with  excellent  corn-bread 
and  sassafras  tea,  with  sugar  and  milk,  served  in  cups. 

M'Garey  had  a  bluff  frankness  of  manner,  with  an  air  of 
independence  in  the  means  of  living,  and  an  individuality  of 
character,  which  impressed  us  favorably.  He  told  us  that  we 
were  eight  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  by  the  stream, 
that  White  river  was  navigable  by  keel-boats  for  this  distance, 
and  that  there  were  several  settlements  on  its  banks.  He  had 
several  acres  in  cultivation  in  Indian  corn,  possessed  horses, 
cows,  and  hogs,  and,  as  we  observed  at  the  door,  a  hand-mill. 
At  a  convenient  distance  was  a  smoke-house,  where  meats  were 
preserved.  I  observed  a  couple  of  odd  volumes  of  books  on  a 
shelf.  He  was  evidently  a  pioneer  on  the  Indian  land.  He 
said  that  the  Cherokees  had  been  improperly  located  along  the 
western  bank  of  White  river,  extending  to  the  Arkansas,  and 
that  the  effect  was  to  retard  and  prevent  the  purchase  and 
>  settlement  of  the  country  by  the  United  States.  He  com- 
plained of  this,  as  adverse  to  the  scattered  hunters,  who  were 
anxious  to  get  titles  for  their  lands.  He  did  not  represent  the 
Cherokees  as  being  hostile,  or  as  having  committed  any  depre- 
dations.    But  he  depicted  the  Osages   as   the  scourge  and 


DISCOURAGING   INFORMATION.  87 

terror  of  the  country.  They  roamed  from  the  Arkansas  to 
the  Missouri  frontier,  and  pillaged  whoever  fell  in  their  way. 
He  detailed  the  particulars  of  a  robbery  committed  in  the  very 
house  we  were  sitting  in,  when  they  took  away  horses,  clothes, 
and  whatever  they  fancied.  They  had  visited  him  in  this  way 
twice,  and  recently  stole  from  him  eight  beaver-skins ;  and 
during  their  last  foray  in  the  valley,  they  had  robbed  one  of 
his  neighbors,  called  Teen  Friend,  of  all  his  arms,  traps,  and 
skins,  and  detained  him  a  prisoner.  This  tribe  felt  hostile  to 
all  the  settlers  on  the  outskirts  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  and 
were  open  robbers  and  plunderers  of  all  the  whites  who  fell 
defenceless  into  their  hands.  They  were,  he  thought,  particu- 
larly to  be  dreaded  in  the  region  which  we  proposed  to  explore. 
He  also  said  that  the  Osages  were  hostile  to  the  newly-arrived 
Cherokees,  who  had  migrated  from  the  east  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  had  settled  in  the  country  between  the  Red  river 
and  Arkansas,  and  that  these  tribes  were  daily  committing 
trespasses  upon  each  other.  Having  myself,  but  a  short  time 
before,  noticed  the  conclusion  of  a  peace  between  the  western 
Cherokees  and  Osages  at  St.  Louis,  before  General  Clark, 
I  was  surprised  to  hear  this ;  but  he  added,  as  an  illustration 
of  this  want  of  faith,  that  when  the  Cherokees  returned  from 
that  treaty,  they  pursued  a  party  of  Osages  near  the  banks  of 
White  river,  and  stole  twenty  horses  from  them. 

Dec.  8th.  On  comparing  opinions,  for  which  purpose  we 
had  an  interview  outside  the  premises,  it  seemed  that  these 
statements  were  to  be  received  with  some  grains  of  allowance. 
They  were  natural  enough  for  a  victim  of  Indian  robberies, 
and  doubtless  true ;  but  the  events  had  not  been  recent,  and 
they  were  not  deemed  sufficient  to  deter  us  from  proceeding  in 
our  contemplated  tour  to  the  higher  Ozarks  at  the  sources  of 
the  river.  It  was  evident  that  we  had  erred  a  good  deal  from 
our  stick  bridge  at  Calamarca,  from  the  proper  track ;  but  we 
were  nevertheless  determined  not  to  relinquish  our  object. 

Having  obtained  the  necessary  information,  we  determined 
to  pursue  our  way,  for  which  purpose  we  turned  the  horse  to 
graze  with  M'Garey's,  rid  ourselves  of  all  our  heavy  baggage 


\ 


88  CASE    OF   DISTRESS. 

by  depositing  it  with  him,  and  prepared  our  knapsacks  for  this 
new  essay.  When  ready,  our  host  refused  to  take  any  pay  for 
his  hospitalities,  but,  conducting  us  to  his  smokehouse,  opened 
the  door,  and  then,  drawing  his  knife  from  its  sheath,  placed 
it,  with  an  air  of  pomposity,  in  my  hand,  offering  the  handle- 
end,  and  said,  "  Go  in  and  cut."  I  did  so,  taking  what  ap- 
peared to  be  sufficient  to  last  us  to  our  next  expected  point  of 
meeting  hunters.  The  place  was  well  filled  with  buffalo  and 
bear  meat,  both  smoked  and  fresh,  hanging  on  cross-bars. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  bade  our  kind  entertainer  adieu,  and, 
taking  directions  to  reach  Sugar-loaf  Prairie,  crossed  over  the 
river  by  the  same  ford  which  we  had  taken  in  our  outward 
track  from  Camp  No,  in  the  valley  of  the  Great  North  Fork. 
Relieved  from  the  toilsome  task  of  leading  the  horse,  we 
ascended  the  opposite  cliffs  with  alacrity,  and  vigorously  pur- 
sued our  course,  over  elevated  ground,  for  about  sixteen  miles. 
The  path  then  became  obscure ;  the  ground  was  so  flinty  and 
hard,  that  it  was  in  vain  we  searched  for  tracks  of  horses'  feet. 
Some  time  was  lost  in  this  search,  and  we  finally  encamped  in 
a  cane  bottom  in  the  river  valley. 

My  companion  had  again  charged  himself  with  the  coffee- 
pot, which  he  carried  in  a  similar  manner  at  his  back ;  and 
when  I  came  to  open  my  pack,  told  me  he  thought  I  had  not 
cut  deep  enough  into  the  dried  bear's  meat  of  M'Garey's  smoke- 
house. To  a  man  who  refused  all  pay,  and  had  been  invaria- 
bly kind,  I  felt  that  moderation,  in  this  respect,  was  due.  I 
was,  besides,  myself  to  be  the  carrier  of  it ;  and  we,  indeed, 
never  had  cause  to  regret  the  carefulness  of  my  selection. 

Dec.  9th.  Finding  ourselves  in  the  river's  bottom,  we 
forced  our  way,  with  no  small  effort,  through  the  thick  growth 
of  cane  and  vines.  We  had,  perhaps,  advanced  seven  miles 
through  this  dense  vegetation,  when  we  suddenly  burst  into  a 
small  cleared  space.  Here,  in  a  little,  incomplete  shanty,  we 
found  a  woman  and  her  young  child.  She  had  not  a  morsel  to 
eat,  and  looked  half  famished.  Her  husband  had  gone  into 
the  forest  to  hunt  something  to  eat.  The  child  looked  feeble. 
We  were  touched  at  the  sight,  and  did  all  we.  could  to  relieve 


PIONEER   HOSPITALITY.  89 

them.     They  had  been  in  that  position  of  new-comers  about 
two  weeks,  having  come  up  from  the  lower  parts  of  the  river. 

From  this  point,  we  ascended  the  river  hills  eastwardly,  and 
pursued  our  journey  along  an  elevated  range  to  the  Sugar-loaf 
Prairie — a  name  which  is  derived  from  the  striking  eifects  of 
denudation  on  the  limestone  cliffs,  -which  occupy  the  most  ele- 
vated positions  along  this  valley.  We  were  received  with  blunt 
hospitality  by  a  tall  man  in  leather,  called  Coker,  whose  man- 
ner appears  to  be  characteristic  of  the  hunter.  Our  approach 
was  heralded  by  the  usual  loud  and  long  barking  of  dogs,  and 
we  found  the  premises  surrounded  by  the  invariable  indications 
of  a  successful  hunter  —  skins  of  the  bear  and  other  animals, 
stretched  out  on  frames  to  dry. 

We  were  no  sooner  at  home  with  our  entertainer,  than  he 
began  to  corroborate  what  we  had  before  heard  of  the  hostility 
of  the  Osages.  He  considered  the  journey  at  this  season 
hazardous,  as  he  thought  they  had  not  yet  broke  up  their  fall 
hunting-camps,  and  retired  to  their  villages  on  the  Grand  Osaw 
(Osage).  He  also  thought  it  a  poor  season  for  game,  and  pre- 
sented a  rather  discouraging  prospect  to  our  view.  My  gun 
having  proved  useless,  we  tried  to  obtain  a  rifle  which  he  pos- 
sessed, and  seemed  willing  to  part  with,  but  not  at  a  reasonable 
price. 

Mr.  Coker  represented  the  settlers  of  Sugar-loaf  Prairie  to 
consist  of  four  families,  situated  within  the  distance  of  eight 
miles,  including  both  banks  of  the  river.  This  was  exclusive 
of  two  families  living  at  Beaver  creek,  the  highest  point  yet 
occupied. 

Dec.  10th.  It  was  noon  before  we  were  prepared  to  depart 
from  Coker's.  The  old  man  refused  to  take  anything  for  our 
meals  and  lodging ;  and  we  bade  him  adieu,  after  taking  his 
directions  as  to  the  best  route  to  pursue  to  reach  Beaver  creek, 
our  next  point.  We  travelled  through  a  lightly-timbered,  hilly, 
barren  country,  about  eight  miles,  when  the  skies  became  over- 
cast, and  some  rain  fell.  It  was  still  an  early  hour  to  encamp, 
but  we  came  at  this  time  into  a  small  ravine,  with  running 
water,  -which  had  on  one  bank  a  shelving  cave  in  the  limestone 
8* 


X 


90  UNPLEASANT    DILEMMA. 

rock,  forming  a  protection  from  the  rain.  We  built  a  fire  from 
red  cedar,  which  emitted  a  strong  aromatic  odor.  The  weather 
begins  to  assume  a  wintry  character ;  this  is  the  first  day  we 
have  been  troubled  with  cold  fingers. 

Dec.  11th.  We  left  our  camp  at  the  cave  on  Cedar  brook, 
and  resumed  our  march  at  an  early  hour,  and  found  the  face 
of  the  country  still  rough  and  undulating,  but  covered,  to  a 
great  extent,  with  brush.  My  companion  thought  we  had  gone 
far  enough  to  have  struck  the  waters  of  the  Beaver,  and,  as  he 
carried  the  compass  this  day,  he  deviated  westward  from  the 
intended  course.  This  brought  us  to  the  banks  of  a  river, 
which  he  insisted,  contrary  to  my  opinion,  must  be  the  Beaver. 
To  me  this  did  not  seem  probable,  but,  yielding  the  point  to 
him,  we  forded  the  stream  at  waist  deep.  We  then  ascended 
a  lofty  and  difficult  range  of  river  hills,  and,  finding  ourselves 
now  at  the  level  of  the  country,  we  held  on  in  a  westerly 
course,  till  it  became  clearly  evident,  even  to  my  companion, 
that  we  were  considerably  west  of  the  White  river.  We  then 
retraced  our  steps,  descended  the  river  hills  to  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  and  followed  up  its  immediate  margin,  in  search  of  a 
convenient  spot  for  encampment ;  for,  by  this  time,  night  ap- 
proached rapidly.  We  were  soon  arrested  by  a  precipitous 
cliff,  against  the  base  of  which  the  river  washed.  As  the  sun 
sank  lowTer,  we  felt  a  keen  and  cold  wind,  but  could  not  find  a 
stick  of  wood  on  the  western  bank  with  which  to  kindle  a  fire. 
The  alternative  presented  to  us  was,  either  to  remain  here  all 
night  without  a  fire,  exposed  to  the  chilling  blast,  or  cross  a 
deep  stream  to  the  opposite  shore,  where  there  was  an  exten- 
sive alluvial  plain,  covered  with  trees  and  the  cane  plant,  and 
promising  an  abundance  of  fuel. 

Night  had  already  closed  around  us,  when  we  decided  to 
cross  the  river.  We  found  it  to  be  four  or  five  feet  deep,  and 
some  two  hundred  yards  wide.  When  we  got  over,  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  we  succeeded  in  collecting  a  suffi- 
ciency of  dry  materials  to  kindle  a  fire ;  and  by  the  time  we 
had  accomplished  it,  our  wet  clothes  had  become  stiff  and  cold, 
the  wind  at  the  same  time  blowing  very  fiercely.     Our  utmost 


A   PHENOMENON.  91 

efforts  were  required  to  dry  and  -warm  ourselves,  nor  did  we 
attain  these  points  in  a  sufficient  degree  to  secure  a  comfort- 
able night's  rest. 

Dec.  12th.  The  ground  this  morning  was  covered  with 
white  hoar-frost,  with  a  keen  and  cold  air,  and  a  wintry  sky. 
Early  daylight, ^bilfod  ua^treading  our  way  across  the  low 
grqunds  to'th^Ms.  ^^4&g^soon  ascended  on  an  elevated  rocky 
shore?«^rdering  in^riyjt,  which  was  completely  denuded  of 
trees  and  shrubbery.  'It  was  early,  the  sun  not  having  yet 
risen,  when  we  beheld  ^before  us,  rising  out  of  the  ground,  a 
column  of  air  whi^F  appeared  to  be  of  a  warmer  temperature. 
Its,  appearance  was  like  that  of  smoke  from  a  chimney  on  a 
frosty  morning.  '  On  reaching  it,  the  phenomenon  was  found 
to  be  caused  by  a  small  orifice  in  the  earth,  from  which  rarefied 
air  issued.  On  looking  down  intently,  and  partially  excluding 
the  light,  it  was  seen  to  be  a  fissure  in  the  limestone  rock,  with 
jagged,  narrow  sides,  leading  clown  into  a  cavern.  I  deter- 
mined to  try  the  descent,  and  found  the  opening  large  enough 
to  admit  my  body.  Feeling  for  a  protuberance  on  which  to 
rest  my  feet,  and  closely  pressing  the  sides  of  the  orifice,  I 
slowly  descended.  My  fear  was  that  the  crevice  would  sud- 
denly enlarge,  and  let  me  drop.  But  I  descended  in  safety. 
I  thus  let  myself  down  directly  about  twenty  feet,  and  came 
to  the  level  floor  of  a  gallery  which  led  in  several  directions. 
The  light  from  above  was  sufficient  to  reveal  the  dark  outlines 
of  a  ramified  cavern,  and  to  guide  my  footsteps  for  a  distance. 
I  went  as  far  in  the  largest  gallery  as  the  light  cast  any  direct 
rays,  but  found  nothing  at  all  on  the  floor  or  walls  to  reward 
my  adventure.  It  was  a  notable  fissure  in  a  carbonate  of  lime, 
entirely  dry,  and  without  stalactites.  What  I  most  feared  in 
these  dim  recesses,  was  some  carnivorous  animal,  for  whose 
residence  it  appeared  to  be  well  adapted.  Having  explored  it 
as  far  as  I  could  command  any  light  to  retrace  my  steps,  I 
returned  to  the  foot  of  the  original  orifice.  I  found  no  diffi- 
culty, by  pressing  on  each  side,  in  ascending  to  the  surface, 
bringing  along  a  fragment  of  the  limestone  rock.  I  afterwards 
observed,  while  descending  the  river,  that  this  cavern  was  in  a 


92  THE   LITTLE   TOWER. 

high,  precipitous  part  of  the  coast,  of  calcareous  rock,  the  foot 
of  which  was  washed  by  the  main  channel  of  White  river. 

We  now  resumed  our  march,  and,  at  the  distance  of  about 
six  miles,  reached  Beaver  creek,  a  mile  or  two  above  its  mouth. 
It  is  a  beautiful,  clear  stream,  of  sixty  yards  wide,  with  a  depth 
of  two  feet,  and  a  hard,  gravelly  bottom.  We  forded  it,  and, 
keeping  down  the  bank,  soon  fell  into  a  horse-path,  which  led 
us,  in  following  it  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  to  a  hunter's  dwell- 
ing, occupied  by  a  man  named  Fisher.  He  received  us  in  a 
friendly  manner,  and  we  took  up  our  abode  with  him.  Six  or 
eight  hundred  yards  higher,  there  was«-another  cabin,  occupied 
by  a  man  named  Holt.  Both  had  been  but  a  short  time  located 
at  this  place ;  they  had  not  cleared  any  ground,  nor  even 
finished  the  log  houses  they  occupied.  Both  buildings  were  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  on  the  edge  of  a  large  and  very  fertile 
bottom,  well  wooded,  and  with  a  very  picturesque  coast  of 
limestone  opposite,  whose  denuded  pinnacles  had  received  the 
name  of  the  Little  Tower. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

OBSTACLE  PRODUCED  BY  THE  FEAR  OF  OSAGE  HOSTILITY — MEANS 
PURSUED  TO  OVERCOME  IT — NATURAL  MONUMENTS  OF  DENUDA- 
TION IN  THE  LIMESTONE  CLIFFS — PURITY  OF  THE  WATER — PEB- 
BLES OF  YELLOW  JASPER — COMPLETE  THE  HUNTERS'  CABINS  — 
A  JOB  IN  JEWELLERY  —  CONSTRUCT  A  BLOWPIPE  FROM  CANE — 
WHAT   IS   THOUGHT   OF   RELIGION. 

Dec.  13th.  Holt  and  Fisher  were  the  highest  occupants  of 
the  White  river  valley.  They  had  reached  this  spot  about  four 
months  before,  and  had  brought  their  effects  partly  on  pack- 
horses,  and  partly  in  canoes.  The  site  was  judiciously  chosen. 
A  finer  tract  of  rich  river  bottom  could  not  have '  been  found, 
while  the  site  commanded  an  illimitable  region,  above  and 
around  it,  for  hunting  the  deer,  buffalo,  elk,  and  other  species, 
besides  the  beaver,  otter,  and  small  furred  animals,  which  are 
taken  in  traps.  We  tried,  at  first  vainly,  to  persuade  them  to 
accompany  us  in  our  further  explorations.  To  this  they  replied 
that  it  was  Osage  hunting-ground,  and  that  that  tribe  never 
failed  to  plunder  and  rob  all  who  fell  in  their  power,  particu- 
larly hunters  and  trappers.  And  besides,  they  were  but  recent 
settlers,  and  had  not  yet  completed  their  houses  and  improve- 
ments. 

As  we  were  neither  hunters  nor  trappers,  we  had  no  fears 
of  Osage  hostility ;  for  this  was,  in  a  measure,  the  just  retribu- 
tion of  that  tribe  for  an  intrusion  on  their  lands,  and  the 
destruction  of  its  game,  which  constituted  its  chief  value  to 
them.  Nor  did  we  anticipate  encountering  them  at  all,  at  this 
season,  as  they  must  have  withdrawn,  long  ere  this,  to  their 
villages  on  the  river  Osage. 

(93) 


04  NEW   ARRANGEMENTS. 

Dec.  14th.  There  appears  no  other  way  to  induce  the 
hunters  to  go  with  us,  but  to  aid  them  in  completing  their  cot- 
tages and  improvements.     This  we  resolved  to  do.     Holt  then 

!  agreed  to  accompany  us  as  a  guide  and  huntsman,  with  the 
further  stipulation  that  he  was  to  have  the  horse  which  had 

'  been  left  at  M 'Gary's,  and  a  small  sum  of  money,  with  liberty 
also  to  undertake  a  journey  to  the  settlements  below  for  corn. 
Hereupon,  Fisher  also  consented  to  accompany  us. 

Dec.  15th.  This  obstacle  to  our  movements  being  over- 
come, we  busied  ourselves  in  rendering  to  the  hunters  all  the 
assistance  in  our  power,  and  made  it  an  object  to  show  them 
that  we  could  do  this  effectively.  We  began  by  taking  hold 
of  the  frow  and  axe,  and  aiding  Holt  to  split  boards  for  cover- 
ing a  portion  of  the  roof  of  his  house.  I  doubt  whether  my 
companion  had  ever  done  the  like  work  before ;  I  am  sure  I 
never  had ;  but  having  thrown  myself-  on  this  adventure,  I 
most  cheerfully  submitted  to  all  its  adverse  incidents. 

Dec.  16th.  This  morning,  Holt  and  Fisher  —  the  latter 
accompanied  by  his  son,  with  three  horses  —  set  out  oh  their 
journey  to  purchase  corn,  leaving  us,  in  the  interim,  to  provide 
fuel  for  their  families ;  a  labor  by  no  means  light,  as  the  cold 
was  now  severe,  and  was  daily  growing  more  intense.  To-day, 
for  the  first  time,  we  observed  floating  ice  in  the  river ;  and, 
even  within  the  cabins,  water  exposed  in  vessels  for  a  few 
moments,  acquired  a  thin  coating  of  ice. 

Dec.  17th.  At  daybreak  we  built  a  substantial,  rousing  fire 
in  the  cabin,  of  logs  several  feet  long ;  we  then  pounded  the 
quantity  of  corn  necessary  for  the  family's  daily  use.  •  This 
process  brings  the  article  into  the  condition  of  coarse  grits, 
which  are  boiled  soft,  and  it  then  bears  the  name  of  homony. 
Of  this  nutritious  dish  our  meals  generally  consist,  with  boiled 
or  fried  bear's  bacon,  and  a  decoction  of  sassafras  tea.  The 
fat  of  the  bear  is  very  white  and  delicate,  and  appears  to  be 
more  digestible  than  fresh  pork,  which  is  apt  to  cloy  in  the 


% 


EXPLORATION   OF   THE   CLIFFS.  95 

stomach.  After  breakfast,  wishing  to  give  the  hunters  evidence 
of  our  capacity  of  being  useful,  we  took  our  axes  and  sallied 
out  into  the  adjoining  wood,  and  began  to  fell  the  trees,  cut 
them  into  proper  lengths  for  firewood,  and  pile  the  brush. 
About  five  o'clock,  we  were  summoned  to  our  second  meal, 
which  is  made  to  serve  as  dinner  and  supper.  We  then  car- 
ried up  the  quantity  of  firewood  necessary  for  the  night.  This 
consumed  the  remainder  of  the  short  December  day ;  and, 
before  lying  down  for  the  night,  we  replenished  the  ample  fire. 
This  sketch  may  serve  as  an  outline  of  our  daily  industry, 
during  the  eleven  days  we  tarried  with  the  hunters. 

Dec.  18th.  I  have  mentioned  the  fondness  of  my  compa- 
nion for  tea.  This  afternoon  he  thought  to  produce  an  agree- 
able surprise  in  our  hostess's  mind,  by  preparing  a  dish  of 
young  hyson.  But  she  sipped  it  as  she  would  have  done  the 
decoction  of  some  bitter  herb,  and  frankly  confessed  that  she 
did  not  like  it  as  well  as  the  forest  substitutes,  namely,  sassa- 
fras, dittany,  and  spicewood.  And  ihe  manner  in  which  she 
alluded  to  it  as  "store  tea,"  plainly  denoted  the  article  not  to 
be  numbered  among  the  wants  of  a  hunter's  life. 

Dec.  19th.  The  river  having  been  closed  with  ice  within 
the  last  two  days,  we  crossed  it  this  afternoon  to  visit  the  two 
pyramidal  monuments  of  geological  denudation  which  mark 
the  limestone  range  of  the  opposite  shore.  I  determined,  if 
possible,  to  ascend  one  of  them.  The  ascent  lies  through  a 
defile  of  rocks.  By  means  of  projections,  which  could  some- 
times be  reached  by  cedar  roots,  and  now  and  then  a  leap  or 
a  scramble,  I  succeeded  in  ascending  one  of  them  to  near  its 
apex,  which  gave  me  a  fine  view  of  the  windings  of  the  river. 
The  monuments  consist  of  stratified  limestone,  which  has,  all 
but  these  existing  peaks,  crumbled  under  the  effects  of  disin- 
tegration. I  observed  no  traces  of  organic  remains.  It 
appeared  to  be  of  the  same  general  character  with  the  metal- 
liferous beds  of  Missouri,  and  is,  viewed  in  extenso,  like  that, 
based  on  grey  or  cream-colored  sand-rock.  I  found  this  lime- 
stone rock  cavernous,  about  seven  miles  below. 


96  TRAGIC   AFFAIR. 

In  crossing  the  river,  I  was  impressed  with  the  extreme 
purity  of  the  water.  The  ice  near  the  cliffs  having  been 
formed  during  a  calm  night,  presented  the  crystalline  purity 
of  glass,  through  which  every  inequality,  pebble,  and  stone  in 
its  bed,  could  be  plainly  perceived.  The  surface  on  which  we 
stood  was  about  an  inch  thick,  bending  as  we  walked.  The 
depth  of  water  appeared  to  be  five  or  six  feet ;  but  I  was  told 
that  it  was  fully  twenty.  The  pebbles  at  this  place  are  often 
a  small,  pear-shaped,  opaque,  yellow  jasper.  They  appear  to 
have  been  disengaged  from  some  mineral  bed  at  a  higher  point 
on  the  stream. 

Dec.  20th.  Observed  as  a  day  of  rest,  it  being  the  Sabbath. 
The  atmosphere  is  sensibly  milder,  and  attended  with  haziness, 
which  appears  to  betoken  rain. 

Dec.  21st.  We  employed  ourselves  till  three  o'clock  in 
hewing  and  splitting  planks  for  Holt's  cabin  floor,  when  rain 
compelled  us  to  desist. 

The  following  circumstance  recently  occurred  here :  Two 
hunters  had  a  dispute  about  a  horse,  which  it  was  alleged  one 
had  stolen  from  the  other ;  the  person  aggrieved,  meeting  the 
other  some  days  after  in  the  woods,  shot  him  dead.  He  imme- 
diately fled,  keeping  the  woods  for  several  weeks ;  when  the 
neighboring  hunters,  aroused  by  so  glaring  an  outrage,  assem- 
bled and  set  out  in  quest  of  him.  Being  an  expert  woodsman, 
the  offender  eluded  them  for  some  time ;  but  at  last  they  ob- 
tained a  glimpse  of  him  as  he  passed  through  a  thicket,  when 
one  of  his  pursuers  shot  him  through  the  shoulder,  but  did  not 
kill  him.  This  event  happened  a  few  days  before  our  arrival 
in  this  region.  It  will  probably  be  the  cause  of  several  mur- 
ders, before  the  feud  is  ended. 


5 


Dec.  22d.  The  rain  having  ceased,  we  resumed  and  com- 
pleted our  job  of  yesterday  at  Holt's.  The  atmosphere  is 
hazy,  damp,  and  warm. 

My  medical  skill  had  not  been  called  on  since  the  affair  at 
the  Four  Bear  creek,  where  my  companion  sprained  his  ankle. 


PRACTISE   MEDICINE.  97 

The  child  of  Mrs.  Holt  was  taken  ill  with  a  complaint  so 
manifestly  bilious,  that  I  gave  it  relief  by  administering  a  few 
grains  of  calomel.  This  success  led  to  an  application  from  her 
neighbor,  Mrs.  F.,  whose  delicate  situation  made  the  responsi- 
bility of  a  prescription  greater.  This  also  proved  favorable, 
and  I  soon  had  other  applicants. 

Dec.  23d.  About  ten  o'clock  this  morning,  Holt  and  Fisher 
returned,  laden  with  corn.  The  day  was  mild  and  pleasant, 
the  severity  of  the  atmosphere  having  moderated,  and  the  sky 
become  clear  and  bright.  They  appeared  to  be  pleased  with 
the  evidences  of  our  thrift  and  industry  during  their  absence, 
and  we  now  anticipated  with  pleasure  an  early  resumption  of 
our  journey.  To  this  end,  we  were  resolved  that  nothing 
should  be  wanting  on  our  part.  We  had  already  faithfully 
devoted  seven  days  to  every  species  of  labor  that  was  neces- 
sary to  advance  their  improvements. 

Dec.  24th.  I  had  yesterday  commenced  hewing  out  a  table 
for  Holt's  domicile,  from  a  fine,  solid  block  of  white-ash.  I 
finished  the  task  to-day,  to  the  entire  admiration  of  all.  We 
now  removed  our  lodgings  from  Fisher's  to  Holt's,  and  em- 
ployed the  remainder  of  the  day  in  chinking  and  daubing  his 
log  house. 

Of  these  two  men,  who  had  pushed  themselves  to  the  very 
verge  of  western  civilization,  it  will  be  pertinent  to  say,  that 
their  characters  were  quite  different.  Holt  was  the  better 
hunter,  and  more  social  and  ready  man.  He  was  quick  with 
the  rifle,  and  suffered  no  animal  to  escape  him.  Fisher  was 
of  a  more  deliberative  temperament,  and  more  inclined  to  sur- 
round himself  with  the  reliances  of  agriculture.  He  was  also 
the  better  mechanic,  and  more  inclined  to  labor.  Holt  hated 
labor  like  an  Indian,  and,  like  an  Indian,  relied  for  subsist- 
ence on  the  chase  exclusively.  Fisher  was  very  superstitious, 
and  a  believer  in  witchcraft.  Holt  was  scarcely  a  believer  in 
anything,  but  was  ever  ready  for  action.  He  could  talk  a 
little  Chickasaw,  and  had  several  of  their  chansons,  which  he 
sung.  Both  men  had  kept  for  years  moving  along  on  the 
9  G 


98  PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   START.    ' 

outer  frontiers,  ever  ready  for  a  new  remove ;  and  it  was  plain 
enough,  to  the  listener  to  their  tales  of  wild  adventure,  that 
they  had  not  been  impelled,  thus  far,  on  the  ever  advancing 
line  of  border  life,  from  the  observance  of  any  of  the  sterner 
virtues  or  qualities  of  civilized  society.  There  were  occasions 
in  their  career,  if  we  may  venture  an  opinion,  when  to  shoot  a 
deer,  or  to  shoot  a  man,  were  operations  that  could  be  per- 
formed "agreeably  to  circumstances."  To  us,  however,  they 
were  uniformly  kind,  frank,  friendly;  for,  indeed,  there  was  no 
possible  light  in  which  our  interests  were  brought  in  conflict. 

I  We  were  no  professed  hunters,  and  our  journey  into  the  Ozark 
hunting-grounds  was  an  advantage  to  them,  by  making  them 
better  acquainted  with  the  geography  of  their  position. 

They  could  not  quit  home  on  such  a  journey,  however, 
without  leaving  some  meat  for  their  families ;  and  they  both 
set  out  to-day  for  this  purpose.  It  appeared  that  they  had, 
some  days  before,  killed  on  a  river  bottom,  about  twelve  miles 
above  this  point  in  the  river  valley,  a  buffalo,  a  bear,  and  a 
panther;  but,  not  having  horses  with  them,  had  scaffolded  the 
carcases  of  the  two  former.  Notwithstanding  this  precaution, 
the  wolves  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  buffalo  meat,  and 
had  partly  destroyed  it.  The  carcase  of  the  bear  was  safe. 
They  returned  in  the  afternoon  with  their  trophies.  They 
also  brought  down  some  of  the  leg-bones  of  the  buffalo,  for 
the  sake  of  their  marrow.  They  are  boiled  in  water,  to  cook 
the  marrow,  and  then  cracked  open.  The  quantity  of  marrow 
is  immense.  It  is  eaten  while  hot,  with  salt.  We  thought  it 
delicious. 

We  learn  by  conversing  with  the  hunters  that  a  high  value 
is  set  upon  the  dog,  and  that  they  are  sought  with  great  avi- 
dity. We  heard  of  one  instance  where  a  cow  was  given  for  a 
good  hunting  dog. 

Dec.  25th,  Christmas  day.  At  our  suggestion,  the  hunters 
went  out  to  shoot  some  turkeys  for  a  Christmas  dinner,  and, 
after  a  couple  of  hours'  absence,  returned  with  fourteen.  In 
the  meantime,  we  continued  our  labors  in  completing  the 
house. 


A   JOB    OF    JEWELLERY.  99 

I  prevailed  on  our  hostess,  to-day,  to  undertake  a  turkey- 
pie,  with  a  crust  of  Indian  meal ;  and,  the  weather  being  mild, 
we  partook  of  it  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  on  the  banks  of 
the  river. 

Dec.  26th.  Having  now  obviated  every  objection,  and  con- 
vinced the  hunters  that  no  dangers  were  to  be  apprehended  at 
this  late  season  from  the  Osages,  and  having  completed  the 
preparations  for  the  tour,  to-morrow  is  fixed  on  as  the  time  of 
starting. 

Our  hostess  mentioned  to  me  that  she  had  a  brass  rins;, 
which  she  had  worn  for  many  years,  and  declared  it  to  be  an 
infallible  remedy  for  the  cramp,  with  which  she  had  been  much 
afflicted  before  putting  it  on,  but  had  not  had  the  slightest 
return  of  it  since.  She  was  now  much  distressed  on  account 
of  having  lately  broken  it ;  and,  observing  the  care  I  bestowed 
on  my  mineralogical  packages,  she  thought  I  must  possess  skill 
in  such  affairs,  and  solicited  me  to  mend  it.  It  was  in  vain 
that  I  represented  that  I  had  no  blowpipe  or  other  necessary 
apparatus  for  the  purpose.  She  was  convinced  I  could  do  it, 
and  I  was  unwilling  to  show  a  disobliging  disposition  by  refus- 
ing to  make  the  attempt.  I  therefore  contrived  to  make  a 
blowpipe  by  cutting  several  small  pieces  of  cane,  and  fitting 
one  into  the  other  until  the  aperture  was  drawn  down  to  the 
required  degree  of  fineness.  A  hollow  cut  in  a  billet  of  wood, 
and  filled  with  live  hickory  coals,  answered  instead  of  a  lamp  ; 
and  with  a  small  bit  of  silver  money,  and  a  little  borax  applied 
to  the  broken  ring,  with  my  wooden  blowpipe,  I  soon  soldered 
it,  and  afterwards  filed  off  the  redundant  silver  with  a  small 
file.  I  must  remark  that  the  little  file  and  bit  of  borax,  with- 
out which  the  job  could  not  have  been  accomplished,  was  pro- 
duced from  the  miscellaneous  housewife  of  my  hostess. 

Dec.  27th.  Rain,  which  began  at  night,  rendered  it  impos- 
sible to  think  of  starting  to-day.  It  was  the  Sabbath,  and 
was  improved  as  a  time  of  rest  and  reflection.  I  took  the 
occasion  to  make  some  allusions,  in  a  gentle  and  unobtrusive 
way,   to  the  subject,  and,  in  connection  with   some  remarks 


100  IDEAS    OF   RELIGION. 

■which  one  of  my  entertainers  had  made  a  few  days  previously, 
on  the  subject  of  religion  generally,  condense  the  following 
observations :  —  He  said  that  while  living  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  a  few  years  ago,  he  occasionally  attended  religious 
meetings,  and  thought  them  a  very  good  thing ;  but  he  had 
found  one  of  the  preachers  guilty  of  a  gross  fraud,  and  deter- 
mined never  to  go  again.  He  thought  that  a  man  might  be  as 
good  without  going  to  church  as  with  it,  and  that  it  seemed  to 
him  to  be  a  useless  expenditure,  &c. ;  very  nearly,  indeed,  the 
same  kind  of  objections  which  are  made  by  careless  and  un- 
believing persons  everywhere,  I  fancy,  in  the  woods  or  out  of 
them. 

The  hardships  of  the  hunter's  life  fall  heavily  on  females. 
Mrs.  Holt  tells  me  that  she  has  not  lived  in  a  floored  cabin  for 
several  years — that  during  this  period  they  have  changed  their 
abode  many  times — and  that  she  has  lost  four  children,  who 
all  died  under  two  years. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

PROCEED  INTO  THE  HUNTING-COUNTRY  OF  THE  OSAGES — DILUVIAL 
HILLS  AND  PLAINS — BALD  HILL — SWAN  CREEK — OSAGE  ENCAMP- 
MENTS   FORM    OF    THE    OSAGE    LODGE THE     nABITS     OF     THE 

BEAVER — DISCOVER  A  REMARKABLE  CAVERN  IN  THE  LIMESTONE 
ROCK,  HAVING  NATURAL  VASES  OF  PURE  WATER  —  ITS  GEOLO- 
GICAL AND  METALLIFEROUS  CHARACTER — REACH  THE  SUMMIT 
OF  THE  OZARK  RANGE,  WHICH  IS  FOUND  TO  DISPLAY  A  BROAD 
REGION    OF    FERTILE    SOIL,    OVERLYING   A    MINERAL   DEPOSIT. 

My  stay,  which  I  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  pilgrimage,  at 
the  hunters'  cabins,  was  now  drawing  to  a  close.  I  had  origi- 
nally reached  their  camps  after  a  fatiguing  and  devious  march 
through  some  of  the  most  sterile  and  rough  passages  of  the 
Ozarks,  guided  only  by  a  pocket  compass,  and  had  thrown 
myself  on  their  friendship  and  hospitality  to  further  my  pro- 
gress. Without  their  friendly  guidance,  it  was  felt  that  no 
higher  point  in  this  elevation  could  be  reached.  Every  objec- 
tion raised  by  them  had  now  been  surmounted.  I  had  waited 
their  preliminary  journey  for  corn  for  their  families,  and  my 
companion  and  myself  had  made  ourselves  useful  by  helping, 
in  the  mean  time,  to  complete  their  cabins  and  improvements. 
While  thus  engaged,  I  had  become  tolerably  familiar  with  their 
character,  physical  and  moral,  and  may  add  something  more 
respecting  them.  Holt,  as  I  have  before  indicated,  was  a  pure 
hunter,  expert  with  the  rifle,  and  capable  of  the  periodical 
exertion  and  activity  which  hunting  requires,  but  prone  to  take 
his  ease  when  there  was  meat  in  the  cabin,  and  averse  to  all 
work  beside.  He  was  of  an  easy,  good-natured  temper,  and 
would  submit  to  a  great  deal  of  inconvenience  and  want,  before 
he  would  rouse  himself.  But  when  out  in  the  woods,  or  on  flic 
9  *  (101) 


102  JOURNEY   RESUMED. 

prairies,  he  was  quite  at  home.  He  knew  the  habits  and  range 
of  animals,  their  time  for  being  out  of  their  coverts,  the  kind 
of  food  they  sought,  and  the  places  where  it  was  likely  to  be 
found.  He  had  a  quick  eye  and  a  sure  aim,  and  quadruped  or 
bird  that  escaped  him,  must  be  nimble.  He  was  about  five  feet 
eight  inches  in  height,  stout  and  full  faced,  and  was  particu- 
lar in  his  gear  and  dress,  but  in  nothing  so  much  as  the  skin 
wrapper  that  secured  his  rifle-lock.  This  was  always  in 
perfect  order. 

Fisher  was  two  or  three  inches  taller,  more  slender,  lank  of 
features,  and  sterner.  He  was  a  great  believer  in  the  bewitch- 
ing of  guns,  seemed  often  to  want  a  good  place  to  fire  from, 
had  more  deliberation  in  what  he  did,  and  was  not  so  success- 
ful a  sportsman.  He  had,  too,  when  in  the  cabin,  more  no- 
tions of  comfort,  built  a  larger  dwelling,  worked  more  on  it, 
and  had  some  desires  for  cultivation.  When  on  the  prairie, 
he  dismounted  from  his  horse  with  some  deliberation ;  but, 
before  he  was  well  on  terra  firma,  Holt  had  slid  off  and  killed 
his  game.  The  shots  of  both  were  true,  and,  between  them, 
Sve  ran  no  danger  of  wanting  a  meal. 

It  was  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  December  before  every 
objection  to  their  guiding  us  was  obviated,  and,  although 
neither  of  them  had  been  relieved  from  the  fear  of  Osage  hos- 
tility, they  mounted  their  horses  in  the  morning,  and  announced 
themselves  ready  to  proceed.  Our  course  now  lay  toward 
the  north-west,  and  the  weather  was  still  mild  and  favorable. 
We  ascended  through  the  heavily-timbered  bottom-lands  of  the 
valley  for  a  mile  or  two,  and  then  passed  by  an  easy  route 
through  the  valley  cliffs,  to  the  prairie  uplands  north  of  them. 
After  getting  fairly  out  of  the  gorge  we  had  followed,  we 
entered  on  a  rolling  highland  prairie,  with  some  clumps  of 
small  forest  trees,  and  covered,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
with  coarse  wild  grass,  and  the  seed-pods  of  autumnal  flowers, 
nodding  in  the  breeze.  It  was  a  waving  surface.  Sometimes 
the  elevations  assumed  a  conical  shape.  Sometimes  we  crossed 
a  depression  with  trees.  Often  the  deer  bounded  before  us, 
and  frequently  the  sharp  crack  of  the  rifle  was  the  first  inti- 
mation to  me  that  game  was  near.     Holt  told  me  that  the 


A   DETERMINED    FOLLOWER.  103 

error  of  the  young  or  inexperienced  hunters  was  in  looking  too 
far  for  their  game.  The  plan  to  hunt  successfully  was,  to 
raise  the  eve  slowly  from  the  spot  just  before  you,  for  the  game 
is  often  close  by,  and  not  to  set  it  on  distant  objects  at  first. 
We  moved  on  leisurely,  with  eyes  and  ears  alert  for  every 
sight  and  sound.  A  bird,  a  quadruped,  a  track  —  these  were 
important  themes. 

When  night  approached,  we  encamped  near  the  foot  of  an 
eminence,  called,  from  its  appearance,  the  Bald  Hill.  An 
incident  occurred  early  in  our  march,  which  gave  us  no  little 
concern.  A  fine  young  horse  of  one  of  the  neighboring  hunt- 
ers, which  had  been  turned  out  to  range,  followed  our  track 
from  White  river  valley,  and,  notwithstanding  all  the  efforts 
of  our  guides,  could  not  be  driven  back.  At  length  they  fired 
the  dry  prairie-grass  behind  us,  the  wind  serving,  deeming  this 
the  most  effectual  way  of  driving  him  back.  The  expedient 
did  not,  however,  prove  eventually  successful ;  for,  after  a 
while,  the  animal  again  made  his  appearance.  We  lost  some 
time  in  these  efforts.  It  was  thought  better,  at  length,  that  I 
should  ride  him,  which  was  accomplished  by  placing  a  deerskin 
upon  his  back  by  way  of  saddle,  with  a  kind  of  bridle,  &c. 
The  animal  was  spirited,  and,  thus  mounted,  I  kept  up  with 
the  foremost. 

We  travelled  to-day  about  ten  miles.  The  day  was  clear, 
but  chilly,  with  a  north-westerly  wind,  which  we  had  to  face. 
Holt  had  killed  a  young  doe  during  the  day,  which  was  quickly 
skinned,  and  he  took  along  the  choice  parts  of  it  for  our  eve- 
ning's repast.  Part  of  the  carcase  was  left  behind  as  wolf's- 
meat. 

Dec.  20th.  Little  change  appeared  in  the  country.  For 
about  six  miles  we  travelled  over  hill  and  dale,  meeting  nothing 
new,  but  constantly  expecting  something.  We  then  descended 
into  the  valley  of  Swan  creek — a  clear  stream  of  thirty  yards 
wide,  a  tributary  of  White  river.  Its  banks  present  a  rich 
alluvial  bottom,  well  wooded  with  maple,  hickory,  ash,  hag- 
berry,  elm,  and  sycamore.  We  followed  up  this  valley  about 
five  miles,  when  it  commenced  raining,  and  we  were  compelled 


104  DESERTED    OSAGE   LODGES. 

to  encamp.  Protection  from  the  rain,  however,  was  impossi- 
ble. We  gained  some  little  shelter  under  the  broad  roots  of  a 
clump  of  fallen  trees  and  limbs,  and  passed  a  most  comfortless 
night,  being  wet,  and  without  a  fire. 

The  next  morning,  (Dec.  30th,)  at  the  earliest  dawn,  we 
were  in  motion.  After  ascending  the  Swan  creek  valley  about 
nine  miles,  through  a  most  fertile  tract,  we  fell  into  the  Osage 
trail,  a  well-beaten  horse-path,  and  passed  successively  three 
of  their  deserted  camps,  which  had  apparently  been  unoccu- 
pied for  a  month  or  more.  The  poles  and  frames  of  each  lodge 
were  left  standing,  and  made  a  most  formidable  show.  The 
paths,  hacked  trees,  and  old  stumps  of  firebrands,  showed  that 
they  had  been  deserted  in  the  fall.  The  fear  of  this  tribe  now 
appeared  to  have  left  the  minds  of  our  guides.  These  encamp- 
ments were  all  very  large,  and  could  probably  each  have 
accommodated  several  hundred  persons. 

The  form  of  the  Osage  lodge  may  be  compared  to  a  hemi- 
sphere, or  an  inverted  bird's-nest,  with  a  small  aperture  left  in 
the  top  for  the  escape  of  smoke,  and  an  elongated  opening  at 
the  side,  by  way  of  door,  to  pass  and  repass.  It  is  constructed 
by  cutting  a  number  of  flexible  green  poles,  sharpened  at  one 
end,  and  stuck  firmly  in  the  ground.  The  corresponding  tops 
are  then  bent  over  and  tied,  and  the  framework  covered  with 
linden  bark.  These  wigwams  are  arranged  in  circles,  one  line 
of  lodges  within  another.  In  the  centre  is  a  scaffolding  for 
meat.  The  chief's  tent  is  conspicuously  situated  at  the  head 
of  each  encampment.  It  is  different  from  the  rest,  resembling 
an  inverted  half  cylinder.  The  whole  is  arranged  with  much 
order  and  neatness,  and  evinces  that  they  move  in  large  par- 
ties, that  the  chiefs  exercise  a  good  deal  of  authority. 

The  Osages  are  a  tribe  who  have  from  early  times  been  pro- 
minent in  the  south-west,  between  the  Arkansas  and  Missouri. 
The  term  Osage  is  of  French  origin ;  it  seems  to  be  a  transla- 
tion of  the  Algonquin  term  Assengigun,  or  Bone  Indians. 
Why  ?  They  call  themselves  Was-ba-shaw,  and  have  a  curious 
allegory  of  their  having  originated  from  a  beaver  and  a  snail. 
They  are  divided  into  two  bands,  the  Little  and  Great  Osages, 
the  latter  of  whom  make  their  permanent  encampments  on  the 


LIFE   IN   THE   WILDERNESS.  105 

river  Osage  of  the  Missouri.  The  Ozarks  appear  from  early 
days  to  have  been  their  hunting-grounds  for  the  valuable  furred 
animals,  and  its  deep  glens  and  gorges  have  served  as  nurseries 
for  the  bear.  They  are  one  of  the  great  prairie  stock  of  tribes, 
who  call  God  Wacondah.  They  are  physically  a  fine  tribe  of 
men,  of  good  stature  and  courage,  but  have  had  the  reputation, 
among  white  and  red  men,  of  being  thieves  and  plunderers. 
Certainly,  among  the  hunter  population  of  this  quarter,  they 
are  regarded  as  little  short  of  ogres  and  giants ;  and  they  tell 
most  extravagant  tales  of  their  doings.  Luckily,  it  was  so 
late  in  the  season  that  we  were  not  likely  to  encounter  many 
of  them. 

In  searching  the  precincts  of  the  old  camps,  my  guides 
pointed  out  a  place  where  the  Indians  had  formerly  pinioned 
down  Teen  Friend,  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  white 
trappers  in  this  quarter,  whom  they  had  found  trapping  their 
beaver  in  the  Swan  creek  valley.  I  thought  it  was  an  evidence 
of  some  restraining  fear  of  our  authorities  at  St.  Louis,  that 
they  had  not  taken  the  enterprising  old  fellow's  scalp,  as  well 
as  his  beaver  packs. 

Life  in  the  wilderness  is  dependent  on  contingencies,  which 
are  equally  hard  to  be  foreseen  or  controlled.  We  are,  at  all 
events,  clearly  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
And  the  maxim  that  we  have  carefully  conned  over  in  child- 
hood, "No  man  may  put  off  the  law  of  God,"  is  but  a  feeble 
reliance  when  urged  against  the  Osages  or  Pawnees. 

Deeming  themselves  now  high  enough  up  the  Swan  creek 
valley,  my  guides  determined  to  leave  it,  and  turned  their 
horses'  heads  up  a  gorge  that  led  to  the  open  plains.  We  now 
steered  our  course  north-west,  over  an  elevated  plain,  or  prai- 
rie, covered,  as  usual,  with  ripe  grass.  We  followed  across  this 
tract  for  about  twenty  miles,  with  no  general  deviation  of  our 
course,  but  without  finding  water.  In  search  of  this,  we  pushed 
on  vigorously  till  night  set  in,  when  it  became  intensely  dark, 
and  we  were  in  danger  of  being  precipitated,  at  every  step, 
into  some  hole,  or  down  some  precipice.  Darkness,  in  a  prai- 
rie, places  the  traveller  in  the  position  of  a  ship  at  sea,  without 
a  compass ;  to  go  on,  or  to  stop,  seems  equally  perilous.     For 


s/ 


106  SAGACITY  OF  THE  BEAVER. 

some  two  hours  we  groped  our  way  in  this  manner,  when  one 
of  the  guides  shouted  that  he  had  found  a  standing  pool. 
Meantime,  it  had  become  excessively  dark.  The  atmosphere 
was  clouded  over,  and  threatened  rain.  On  reaching  the  pool, 
there  was  no  wood  to  be  found,  and  we  were  compelled  to  en- 
camp without  a  fire,  and  laid  down  supperless,  tired,  and  cold. 

My  guides  were  hardy,  rough  fellows,  and  did  not  mind  these 
omissions  of  meals  for  a  day  together,  and  had  often,  as  now, 
slept  without  camp-fires  at  night.  As  the  object  seemed  to  be 
a  trial  of  endurance,  I  resolved  not  to  compromit  myself  by 
appearing  a  whit  less  hardy  than  they  did,  and  uttered  not  a 
word  that  might  even  shadow  forth  complaint.  This  was,  how- 
ever, a  cold  and  cheerless  spot  at  best,  with  the  wide  prairie 
for  a  pillow,  and  black  clouds,  dropping  rain,  for  a  covering. 

The  next  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  at  all  light,  we  followed 
down  the  dry  gorge  in  which  we  had  lain,  to  Findley's  Fork — 
a  rich  and  well-timbered  valley,  which  we  descended  about  five 
miles.  As  we  rode  along  through  an  open  forest,  soon  after 
entering  this  valley,  we  observed  the  traces  of  the  work  of  the 
beaver,  and  stopped  to  view  a  stately  tree,  of  the  walnut  spe- 
cies, which  had  been  partially  gnawed  off  by  these  animals. 
This  tree  was  probably  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  in  diameter, 
and  fifty  feet  high.  The  animals  had  gnawed  a  ring  around 
it,  but  abandoned  their  work.  It  had  afterwards  been  under- 
mined by  the  freshets  of  the  stream,  and  had  fallen.  Was  it 
too  hard  a  work  ?  If  so,  it  would  seem  that  some  instinct  akin 
to  reason  came  to  their  aid,  in  leading  them  to  give  up  their 
essay. 

There  was  now  every  appearance  of  a  change  of  weather. 
It  was  cold,  and  a  wintry  breeze  chilled  our  limbs.  I  thought 
my  blood  was  as  warm  as  that  of  my  guides,  however,  and  rode 
on  cheerfully.  At  length,  Holt  and  Fisher,  of  their  own  mo- 
tion, stopped  to  kindle  a  fire,  and  take  breakfast.  We  had 
still  plenty  of  fresh  venison,  which  we  roasted,  as  each  liked, 
on  spits.  Thus  warmed  and  refreshed,  we  continued  down  the 
valley,  evidently  in  a  better  philosophical  mood ;  for  a  man 
always  reasons  better,  and  looks  more  beneficently  about  him, 
this  side  of  starvation. 


A    REMARKABLE    CAVERN.  107 

I  observed  a  small  stream  of  pure  water  coming  in  on  the  north, 
side,  which  issued  through  an  opening  in  the  hills  ;  and  as  this 
ran  in  the  general  direction  we  were  pursuing,  the  guides  led 
up  it.  We  were  soon  enclosed  in  a  lateral  valley,  with  high 
corresponding  hills,  as  if,  in  remote  ages,  they  had  been  united. 
Very  soon  it  became  evident  that'  this  defile  was  closed  across 
and  in  front  of  us.  As  we  came  near  this  barrier,  it  was  found 
that  it  blocked  up  the  whole  valley,  with  the  exception  of  the 
mouth  of  a  gigantic  cave.  The  great  width  and  height  of  this 
cave,  and  its  precipitous  face,  gave  it  very  much  the  appear- 
ance of  some  ruinous  arch,  out  of  proportion.  It  stretched 
from  hill  to  hill.  The  limpid  brook  we  had  been  following,  ran 
from  its  mouth.  On  entering  it,  the  first  feeling  was  that  of 
being  in  "a  large  place."  There  was  no  measure  for  the  eye 
to  compute  height  or  width.  We  seemed  suddenly  to  be  be- 
holding some  secret  of  the  great  works  of  nature,  which  had 
been  hid  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  The  impulse,  on 
these  occasions,  is  to  shout.  I  called  it  Winoca.*  On  ad- 
vancing, we  beheld  an  immense  natural  vase,  filled  with  pure 
water.  This  vase  was  formed  from  concretions  of  carbonate 
of  lime,  of  the  nature  of  stalagmite,  or,  rather,  stalactite.  It 
was  greyish-white  and  translucent,  filling  the  entire  breadth  of 
the  cave.  But,  what  was  still  more  imposing,  another  vase, 
of  similar  construction,  was  formed  on  the  next  ascending  pla- 
teau of  the  floor  of  the  cave.  The  water  flowed  over  the  lips 
of  this  vase  into  the  one  below.  The  calcareous  deposit  seems 
to  have  commenced  at  the  surface  of  the  water,  which,  conti- 
nually flowing  over  the  rims  of  each  vase,  increases  the 
deposit. 

The  height  of  the  lower  vase  is  about  five  feet,  which  is 
inferable  by  our  standing  by  it,  and  looking  over  the  rim  into 
the  limpid  basin.  The  rim  is  about  two  and  a  half  inches  thick. 
Etruscan  artists  could  not  have  formed  a  more  singular  set  of 
capacious  vases. 

The  stream  of  water  that  supplies  these  curious  tanks,  rushes 
with  velocity  from  the  upper  part  of  the  cavern.     The  bottom 

*  From  the  Osage  word  for  an  underground  spirit. 


I 


108  GEOLOGICAL   CHARACTER   OF   THE   COUNTRY. 

of  the  cave  is  strewed  with  small  and  round  calcareous  concre- 
tions, about  the  size  of  ounce  balls,  of  the  same  nature  with 
the  vases.  They  are  in  the  condition  of  stalagmites.  These 
concretions  are  opaque,  and  appear  to  have  been  formed  from 
the  impregnated  waters  percolating  from  the  roof  of  the  cavern. 
There  are  evidences  of  nitric  salts  in  small  crevices.  Geolo- 
gically, the  cavern  is  in  the  horizontal  limestone,  which  is 
evidently  metalliferous.  It  is  the  same  calcareous  formation 
which  characterizes  the  whole  Ozark  range.  Ores  of  lead  (the 
sulphurets)  were  found  in  the  stratum  in  the  bed  of  a  stream, 
at  no  great  distance  north  of  this  cave ;  and  its  exploration  for 
its  mineral  wealth  is  believed  to  be  an  object  of  practical 
importance. 

I  had  now  followed  the  geological  formation  of  the  country 
1  far  south-westwardly.  The  relative  position  of  the  calcareous, 
lead-bearing  stratum,  had  everywhere  been  the  same,  when  not 
disturbed  or  displaced.  Wide  areas  on  the  sources  of  the  Ma- 
ramec,  Gasconade,  and  Osage,  and  also  of  the  Currents,  Spring 
river,  and  Elevenpoints  and  Strawberry,  were  found  covered 
by  heavy  drift,  which  concealed  the  rock  ;  but  wherever  valleys 
had  been  cut  through  the  formation  by  the  stream,  and  the 
strata  laid  bare,  they  disclosed  the  same  horizontality  of  de- 
posit, and  the  same  relative  position  of  limestone  and  sand- 
stone rock. 


CHAPTER   X. 

DEPART     FROM    THE    CAVE CHARACTER    OF    THE    HUNTERS    WHO 

GUIDED    THE    AUTHOR INCIDENTS  OF  THE  ROUTE — A    BEAUTIFUL 

AND  FERTILE  COUNTRY,  ABOUNDING  IN  GAME — REACH  THE  EX- 
TREME NORTH-WESTERN  SOURCE  OF  WHITE  RIVER — DISCOVERIES 
OF  LEAD-ORE  IN  A  PART  OF  ITS  BED  —  ENCAMP  AND  INVESTI- 
GATE   ITS    MINERALOGY CHARACTER,    VALUE,    AND    HISTORY   OF 

THE  COUNTRY — PROBABILITY  OF  ITS  HAVING  BEEN  TRAVERSED 
BY  DE   SOTO   IN    1541. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  the  year  1818,  when  we  reached  the 
cave  of  Winoca,  as  described  in  the  preceding  chapter,  on  the 
Ozark  summit.  An  inspection  of  the  country  had  shown  the 
fact  that  the  mineral  developments  of  its  underlying  rocks  were 
of  a  valuable  character,  while  the  surface  assumed  the  most 
pleasing  aspect,  and  the  soil,  wherever  examined,  appeared  to 
be  of  the  very  richest  quality.  The  bold,  rough  hunters,  who 
accompanied  me,  thought  of  the  country  only  as  an  attractive 
game  country,  which  it  was  a  great  pity,  they  said,  that  the 
Indians  alone  should  occupy ;  and  they  had  very  little  curi-  , 
osity  about  anything  that  did  not  minister  to  their  imme-V 
diate  wants.  They  had  lived  for  so  long  a  time  by  the 
rifle,  that  they  had  a  philosophy  of  the  rifle.  It  was  the  ready 
arbiter  between  themselves,  and  the  animal  creation,  and  the 
Indians,  and  even  other  hunters.  Neither  the  striking  agri- 
cultural or  mineral  resources  of  the  country,  arrested  much 
attention  on  their  part.  And  as  soon  as  I  was  ready  to  relin- 
quish my  examinations  at  the  cave  and  proceed,  they  were  ready 
to  resume  their  horses  and  lead  forward.  Unfortunately,  it 
was  now  severely  cold,  and  everything  in  the  heavens  prognos- 
ticated its  increasing  severity. 

10  (109) 


110  SEVERE   COLD. 

On  leaving  the  Valley^"  the  Cave,  and  ascending  the  hills 
thai  environed  it,  Ave  p^sed  over  a  gently  sloping  surface  of 
hill  and  vale,  partly  covered  with  forest  trees,  and  partly  in 
prairies.     I  have  seldom  seen  a  more  beautiful  prospect.     The 

^  various  species  of  oaks  a*nd  hickories  had  strewed  the  woods 
with  their  fruits,  on  which  the  bear  and  wild  turkey  revelled, 
while  the  red  deer  was  scarcely  ever  out  of  sight.  Long  before 
the  hour  of  encampment  had  arrived,  the  hunters  had  secured 
the  means  of  our  making  a  sumptuous  evening  meal  on  wild 
viands ;  and  when,  at  an  early  hour,  we  pitched  our  camp  on 
the  borders  of  a  small  brook,  Holt,  who  was  ever  ready  with 
the  rifle,  added  a  fat  brandt  from  this  brook  to  our  stores.  We 
had  not  travelled  more  than  twelve  miles,  but  we  had  a  sharp 
wind  to  face,  the  day  being  severe ;  and  nothing  was  so  agree- 
able, when  we  halted,  as  the  fire,  around  which  we  enjoyed 
ourselves,  as  we  each  displayed  our  skill  in  forest  cookery. 

\  There  was  cutting,  and  carving,  and  roasting,  in  the  true 
prairie  style.  We  then  prepared  our  couches  and  night-fires, 
and  slept.  At  the  earliest  peep  of  light,  we  were  again  in 
motion. 

The  1st  of  January,  1819,  opened  with  a  degree  of  cold 
unusual  in  these  regions.  Their  elevation  is,  indeed,  consider- 
able ;  but  the  wind  swept  with  a  cutting  force  across  the 
^  open  prairies.  We  were  now  on  the  principal  north-western 
source  of  White  river,  the  channel  of  which  we  forded  in  the 
distance  of  two  miles.  The  western  banks  presented  a  naked 
prairie,  covered  with  dry  grass  and  autumnal  weeds,  with  here 
and  there  a  tree.  We  pushed  on  towards  the  north-east.  The 
prairie-hen,  notwithstanding  the  cold,  rose  up  in  flocks  before 
us,  as  we  intruded  upon  their  low-couched  positions  in  the 
grass.  Of  these,  Holt,  whose  hunting  propensities  no  cold 
could  restrain,  obtained  a  specimen  ;  he  also  fired  at  and  killed 
a  wild  goose  from  the  channel  of  the  river.  On  passing  about 
four  miles  up  the  western  banks  of  the  stream,  we  observed  a 
lead  of  lead-ore,  glittering  through  the  water  in  the  bed  of  the 
river,  and  determined  to  encamp  at  this  spot,  for  the  purpose 
of  investigating  the  mineral  appearances.  The  weather  was 
piercingly  cold.    We  found  some  old  Indian  camps  near  at  hand, 


CONSTRUCT   A   LEAD-FURNACE.  Ill 

and  procured  from  them  pieces  of  bark  to  sheath  a  few  poles 
and  stakes,  hastily  put  up,  to  form  a  shelter  from  the  wind.  A 
fire  was  soon  kindled,  and,  while  we  cooked  and  partook  of  a 
forest  breakfast,  we  recounted  the  incidents  of  the  morning, 
not  omitting  the  untoward  state  of  the  weather.  When  the 
labor  of  building  the  shanty  was  completed,  I  hastened  to 
explore  the  geological  indications  of  the  vicinity. 

The  ore  which  had  attracted  our  notice  in  the  bed  of  the 
stream,  existed  in  lumps,  which  presented  bright  surfaces  where 
the  force  of  the  current  had  impelled  its  loose  stony  materials 
over  them.  It  was  a  pure  sulphuret  of  lead,  breaking  in  cubi- 
cal lines.  I  also  observed  some  pieces  of  hornblende.  It  was 
not  easy  to  determine  the  original  width  of  the  bed  of  ore.  Its 
course  is  across  the  stream,  into  the  banks  of  red  marly  clay 
on  which  we  had  encamped.  Its  geological  position  is  in  every 
respect  similar  to  the  metalliferous  deposits  at  Potosi,  except 
that  there  were  no  spars,  calcareous  or  barytic,  in  sight.  I 
gathered,  in  a  few  minutes,  a  sufficient  number  of  specimens 
of  the  ore  for  examination,  and  employed  myself  in  erecting, 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  a  small  furnace,  of  the  kind  called 
"log-furnace"  in  Missouri,  to  test  its  fusibility.  In  the  mean 
time,  my  New  England  companion  took  a  survey  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  which  he  pronounced  one  of  the  most  fertile, 
and  admirably  adapted  to  every  purpose  of  agriculture.  Much  i 
of  the  land  consists  of  prairie,  into  which  the  plough  can  be  ** 
immediately  put.  The  forests  and  groves,  which  are  inter- 
spersed with  a  park-like  beauty  through  these  prairies,  consist 
of  various  species  of  oaks,  maple,  white  and  black  walnut,  elm, 
mulberry,  hackberry,  and  sycamore. 

Holt  and  Fisher  scanned  the  country  for  game,  and  returned 
to  camp  with  six  turkeys  and  a  wolf.  Their  fear  of  the  Osages  \ 
had  been  only  apparently  subdued.  They  had  been  constantly 
on  the  look-out  for  signs  of  Indian  enemies,  and  had  their 
minds  always  filled  with  notions  of  hovering  Osages  and  Paw- 
nees. The  day  was  wintry,  and  the  weather  variable.  It 
commenced  snowing  at  daylight,  and  continued  till  about  eight 
o'clock,  A.M.  It  then  became  clear,  and  remained  so,  with 
occasional  flickerings,  until  two  o'clock,  when  a  fixed  snow- 


112  FERTILE   COUNTRY. 

storm  sat  in,  and  drove  me  from  my  little  unfinished  furnace, 
bringing  in  the  hunters  also  from  the  prairies,  and  confining 
us  strictly  to  our  camp.  This  storm  continued,  without  miti- 
gation, nearly  all  night. 

Jan.  3d.  The  snow  ceased  before  sunrise,  leaving  the  country 
wrapped  in  a  white  mantle.  The  morning  was  cold ;  the  river 
began  to  freeze  about  nine  o'clock,  and  continued  till  it  was 
closed.  The  weather  afforded  an  opportunity  for  continuing 
the  explorations  and  examinations  commenced  yesterday.  I 
found  that  the  red  clay  afforded  a  good  material  for  laying  the 
stones  of  my  lead-furnace,  and  continued  working  at  it  for  a 
part  of  the  day.  The  hunters  came  in  with  the  carcases  of 
two  deer,  and  the  skin  of  a  black  wolf.  Except  in  its  color,  I 
could  not  distinguish  any  permanent  characteristics  in  the  lat- 
ter differing  from  the  large  grey  wolf,  or  coyote.  Its  claws, 
snout,  and  ears,  were  the  same — its  tail,  perhaps,  a  little  more 
bushy.  The  size  of  this  animal,  judging  from  the  skin,  must 
have  been  double  that  of  the  little  prairie-wolf,  or  myeengun 
of  the  Indians  of  the  North. 

I  found  the  bed  of  the  stream,  where  it  permitted  examina- 
tion, to  be  non-crystalline  limestone,  in  horizontal  beds,  corre- 
sponding to  the  formation  observed  in  the  cave  of  Winoca.  Its 
mineral  constituents  were  much  the  same.  The  country  is  one 
that  must  be  valuable  hereafter  for  its  fertility  and  resources. 
The  prairies  which  extend  west  of  the  river  are  the  most  ex- 
^>  tensive,  rich,  and  beautiful,  of  any  which  I  have  yet  seen  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  They  are  covered  with  a  most  vigorous 
growth  of  grass.  The  deer  and  elk  abound  in  this  quarter,  and 
the  buffalo  is  yet  occasionally  seen.  The  soil  in  the  river  valley 
is  a  rich  black  alluvion.  The  trees  are  often  of  an  immense 
height,  denoting  strength  of  soil.  It  will  probably  be  found 
adapted  to  corn,  flax,  hemp,  wheat,  oats,  and  potatoes ;  while 
its  mining  resources  must  come  in  as  one  of  the  elements  of  its 
future  prosperity. 

I  planted  some  peach-stones  in  a  fertile  spot  near  our  camp, 
where  the  growth  of  the  sumac  denoted  unusual  fertility.  And 
it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  even  Hoi;,  who  had  the  antipathy 


\ 


THE   OZARK   RANGE.  113 

of  an  Indian  to  agriculture,  actually  cut  some  bushes  in  a  cer- r 
tain  spot,  near  a  spring,  and  piled  them  into  a  heap,  by  way 
of  securing  a  pre-emption  right  to  the  soil. 

The  region  of  the  Ozark  range  of  mountain-development  is 
one  of  singular  features,  and  no  small  attractions.  It  exhibits 
a  vast  and  elevated  tract  of  horizontal  and  sedimentary  strata, 
extending  for  hundreds  of  miles  north  and  south.  This  range 
is  broken  up  into  high  cliffs,  often  wonderful  to  behold,  which 
form  the  enclosing  walls  of  river  valleys.  The  Arkansas  itself 
forces  its  way  through,  about  the  centre  of  the  range.  The 
Washita  marks  its  southern  boundary.  The  St.  Francis  and 
the  Maramec,  at  the  mouth  of  the  former  of  which  De  Soto 
landed,  constitute  its  northern  limits.  The  junction  of  the 
Missouri  with  the  Mississippi  may  be  said  to  be  its  extreme 
northern  development.  The  Missouri,  from  the  influx  of  the 
Osage,  is  pushed  northward  by  the  Ozark  range.  It  rests,  on 
the  south,  upon  the  primitive  granites,  slates,  and  quartz  rock, 
of  Washita.  The  celebrated  Hot  Springs  issue  from  it.  The 
long-noted  mines  of  Missouri,  which  once  set  opinion  in  France 
in  a  blaze,  extend  from  its  north-eastern  flanks.  The  primitive 
sienites  and  hornblende  rock  of  the  sources  of  the  St.  Francis 
and  Grand  rivers,  support  it.  The  Unica  or  White  river,  the 
Strawberry,  Spring  river,  Currents  and  Black  rivers,  descend 
from  it,  and  join  the  Mississippi.  The  Great  and  Little  Osage, 
and  the  Gasconage,  flow  into  the  Missouri.  The  great  plains, 
and  sand-desert,  which  stretches  at  the  eastern  foot  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  lie  west  of  it.  It  is  not  less  than  two  hun- 
dred miles  in  breadth.  No  part  of  the  central  regions  of  the 
Mississippi  valley  exhibits  such  a  variety  in  its  geological  con- 
stituents, or  such  a  striking  mineralogical  development.  Its 
bodies  of  the  ore  of  iron  called  iron-glance,  are  unparalleled. 
These  are  particularly  developed  in  the  locality  called  Iron 
Mountain,  or  the  sources  of  the  St.  Francis.  Its  ores  of  lead, 
zinc,  antimony,  and  manganese,  are  remarkable.  Its  lime- 
stones abound  in  caves  yielding  nitre.  Salt  and  gypsum  are 
found  in  the  plains  on  its  western  borders.  Its  large  blocks 
of  quartz  rock,  which  are  found  north  of  the  Arkansas  river, 
particularly  scattered  o  er  the  formations  crossing  the  Little 
10*  H 


114  ROUTE   OF   DE   SOTO. 

Red,  Buffalo,  and  White  rivers,  about  the  Buffalo  shoals,  fur- 
nish indications  of  the  diluvial  gold  deposit,  -which  would  justify 
future  examination. 

Through  these  alpine  ranges  De  Soto  roved,  with  his  chival- 
rous and  untiring  army,  making  an  outward  and  inward  expe- 
dition into  regions  which  must  have  presented  unwonted  hard- 
ships and  discouragements  to  the  march  of  troops.  To  add  to 
these  natural  obstacles,  he  found  himself  opposed  by  fierce 
savage  tribes,  who  rushed  upon  him  from  every  glen  and  defile, 
and  met  him  in  the  open  grounds  with  the  most  savage  energy, 
His  own  health  finally  sank  under  these  fatigues ;  and  it  is 
certain  that,  after  his  death,  his  successor  in  the  command, 
Moscoso,  once  more  marched  entirely  through  the  southern 
Ozarks,  and  reached  the  buffalo  plains  beyond  them.  Such 
energy  and  feats  of  daring  had  never  before  been  displayed  in 
North  America  ;  and  the  wonder  is  at  its  highest,  after  behold- 
ing the  wild  and  rough  mountains,  cliffs,  glens,  and  torrents, 
over  which  the  actual  marches  must  have  laid. 

Some  of  the  names  of  the  Indian  tribes  encountered  by  him, 
furnish  conclusive  evidence  that  the  principal  tribes  of  the 
country,  although  they  have  changed  their  particular  locations 
since  the  year  1542,  still  occupy  the  region.  Thus,  the  Kapa- 
has,  who  then  lived  on  the  Mississippi,  above  the  St.  Francis, 
are  identical  with  the  Quappas,  the  Cayas  with  the  Kanzas, 
and  the  Quipana  with  the  Pawnees. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

SEVERE    WINTER    WEATHER    ON    THE    SUMMIT    OF    TIIE   OZARKS  — 

FALSE    ALARM     OF    INDIANS DANGER     OF    MY    FURNACE,    ETC., 

BEING     HEREAFTER     TAKEN    FOR   ANTIQUITIES PROCEED    SOUTH 

ANIMAL   TRACKS   IN    THE    SNOW — WINOCA   OR   SPIRIT   VALLEY 

HONEY    AND    THE    HONEY-BEE BUFFALO-BULL    CREEK ROBE 

OF  SNOW MEHAUSCA  VALLEY SUPERSTITIOUS    EXPERIMENT   OF 

THE    HUNTERS ARRIVE    AT    BEAVER    CREEK. 

The  indications  of  severe  weather,  noticed  during  the  last 
day  of  December,  and  the  beginning  of  January,  were  not  de- 
ceptive ;  every  day  served  to  realize  them.  We  had  no  ther- 
mometer ;  but  our  feelings  denoted  an  intense  degree  of  cold. 
The  winds  were  fierce  and  sharp,  and  snow  fell  during  a  part 
of  each  day  and  night  that  we  remained  on  these  elevations. 
We  wrapped  our  garments  closely  about  us  at  night,  in  front 
of  large  fires,  and  ran  alternately  the  risk  of  being  frozen  and 
burnt.  One  night  my  overcoat  was  in  a  blaze  from  lying  too 
near  the  fire.  This  severity  served  to  increase  the  labor  of  our 
examinations ;  but  it  did  not,  that  I  am  aware,  prevent  any- 
thing essential. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  my  sojourn  here,  a  snow-storm  began, 
a  little  before  one  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  it  ceased,  or,  as  the 
local  phrase  is,  "held  up,"  at  daybreak.  The  ground  was  now 
covered,  to  a  depth  of  from  two  to  three  inches,  with  a  white 
mantle.  Such  severity  had  never  been  known  by  the  hunters..  * 
The  winds  whistled  over  the  bleak  prairies  with  a  rigor  which 
would  have  been  remarkable  in  hijrh  northern  latitudes.  The 
river  froze  entirely  over.  The  sun,  however,  shone  out  clearly 
as  the  day  advanced,  and  enabled  me  to  complete  my  examina- 

(115) 


116  FALSE   ALARM. 

tions,  as  fully  as  it  "was  practicable  to  do,  under  the  existing 
■  state  of  the  weather. 

It  happened,  on  this  day,  that  my  companion  had  walked  a 
mile  or  two  west,  over  the  smooth  prairie,  to  get  a  better  view 
of  the  conformation  of  the  land,  returning  to  camp  before  the 
hunters,  who  had  also  gone  in  the  same  general  direction.  On 
their  coming  back,  one  of  them,  whose  head  was  always  full  of 
hostile  Osages,  fell  on  his  returning  track  in  the  snow,  and 
carefully  traced  it  to  our  camp.  lie  came  in  breathless,  and 
declared  that  the  Osages  were  upon  us,  and  that  not  a  moment 
was  to  be  lost  in  breaking  up  our  camp,  and  flying  to  a  place 
of  security.  When  informed  of  the  origin  of  the  tracks,  he 
still  seemed  incredulous,  and  could  not  be  pacified  without  some 
difficulty.  We  then  prepared,  by  collecting  fuel,  and  increas- 
ing our  bark  defences  against  the  wind  and  snow,  to  pass 
another  night  at  the  camp. 

I  had  now  followed  the  Ozarks  as  far  as  it  seemed  practica- 
ble, and  reached  their  western  summit,  notwithstanding  every 
discouragement  thrown  in  my  way  by  the  reports  of  the  hunt- 
ers, from  the  first  moment  of  my  striking  the  WThite  river ; 
having  visited  the  source  of  nearly  every  river  which  flows  from 
it,  both  into  the  Missouri  and  the  Mississippi.  I  had  fully 
satisfied  myself  of  its  physical  character  and  resources,  and 
now  determined  to  return  to  the  camps  of  my  guides  at  Beaver 
creek,  and  continue  the  exploration  south. 

It  was  the  5th  of  January,  1819,  when  we  prepared  our  last 
meal  at  that  camp,  and  I  carefully  put  up  my  packages  in  such 
portable  shape  as  might  be  necessary.  Some  time  was  spent 
in  looking  up  the  horses,  which  had  been  turned  into  a  neigh- 
boring canebrake.  The  interval  was  employed  in  cutting  our 
names,  with  the  date  of  our  visit,  on  a  contiguous  oak,  which 
had  been  previously  blazed  for  the.  purpose.  These  evidences 
of  our  visit  were  left,  with  the  pit  dug  in  search  of  ore,  and 
the  small  smelting- furnace,  which,  it  is  hoped,  no  zealous  anti- 
quarian will  hereafter  mistake  for  monuments  of  an  elder 
period  of  civilization  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  When  this  was 
accomplished,  and  the  horses  brought  up,  we  set  out  with  ala- 
crity.    The  snow  still  formed  a  thin  covering  on  the  ground, 


HONEY   IN    THE   WILDERNESS.  117 

and,  being  a  little  softened  by  the  sun,  the  whole  surface  of  the 
country  exhibited  a  singular  map  of  the  tracks  of  quadrupeds 
and  birds.  In  these,  deer,  elk,  bears,  wolves,  and  turkeys, 
were  prominent — the  first  and  last  species,  conspicuously  so. 
In  some  places,  the  dry  spots  on  the  leaves  showed  where  the 
deer  had  lain  during  the  storm.  These  resting-spots  were 
uniformly  on  declivities,  which  sheltered  the  animal  from  the 
force  of  the  wind.  Frequently  we  crossed  wolf-trails  in  the 
snow,  and,  in  one  or  two  instances,  observed  places  where  they 
had  played  or  fought  with  each  other,  like  a  pack  of  dogs  — 
the  snow  being  tramped  down  in  a  circle  of  great  extent.  We 
also  passed  tracts  of  many  acres,  where  the  turkeys  had 
scratched  up  the  snow,  in  search  of  acorns.  We  frequently 
saw  the  deer  fly  before  us,  in  droves  of  twenty  or  thirty.  They 
will  bound  twenty  feet  at  a  leap,  as  measured,  on  a  gentle  de- 
clivity. This  animal  is  impelled  by  a  fatal  curiosity  to  stop 
and  turn  round  to  look  at  the  cause  of  its  disturbance,  after 
running  a  distance.  It  is  at  this  moment  that  the  hunter 
generally  fires. 

About  noon,  we  reached  and  crossed  Findley's  Fork,  or  the 
Winoca  valley — the  locality  of  the  cave.  Two  miles  south  of 
it,  in  ascending  an  elevation,  our  ears  were  saluted  by  a  mur- 
muring sound  in  the  air,  which  the  hunters  declared  to  be 
single  bees,  flying  in  a  line.  I  observed  one  of  them  directing 
its  flight  to  the  top  of  a  large  oak,  which  was  thus  indicated 
as  the  repository  of  their  honey.  My  companion  and  myself 
proceeded  to  chop  it  down,  while  the  hunters  stood  by.  It  was 
of  the  white-oak  species,  and  was  judged  to  be  two  feet  and  a 
half  across.  When  it  fell,  a  hollow  limb  was  fractured,  dis- 
closing a  large  deposit  of  most  beautiful  white  honeycombs. 
We  ate  without  stint,  sometimes  dipping  cooked  pieces  of  veni- 
son (we  had  no  bread)  in  the  fluid  part.  The  remainder  was 
then  wrapped  up  in  a  freshly  flayed  deerskin,  and  firmly  tied, 
to  be  carried  to  the  hunters'  cabins  at  Beaver  creek  on  one  of 
the  horses. 

We  now  resumed  our  route.  As  evening  approached,  we 
entered  the  head  of  a  valley  formed  out  of  the  plain,  toward 
our  right.     It  turned  out  to  be  a  stream  known  to  them,  in 


118  LOSE    OUK   WAY. 

their  buffalo  hunts,  as  Bull  creek.  Here  we  encamped,  having 
travelled  about  twenty  miles.  The  weather  continued  mode- 
rately cold  during  the  day,  the  sun  not  having  attained  suffi- 
cient power  to  melt  the  snow.  A  single  deer  was  the  trophy 
of  this  day's  hunt. 

Morning  found  us,  as  we  arose  from  our  couches,  in  a  small, 
brushy,  and  tangled  valley,  through  which  it  was  not  easy  to 
make  our  way.  The  weather  was  raw,  cold,  and  lowering,  and 
the  hunters  did  not  seem  inclined  to  make  an  early  start.  It 
was  determined  to  replenish  our  fire,  and  breakfast,  first.  It 
was  a  rough  region,  and  cost  some  exertion  and  fatigue  to  get 
out  of  its  tangled  defiles,  and  ascend  the  plains  south  of  it. 
These  impediments  consumed  so  much  time,  that  we  made  but 
slow  progress.  The  atmosphere  was  so  obscure,  that  it  was 
difficult  to  determine  the  proper  course ;  and  it  was  evident 
that  the  guides  did  not  know  exactly  where  they  were.  At 
length  they  entered  one  of  the  lateral  valleys  of  Swan  creek, 
the  Mehausca  of  the  Osages.  In  this,  after  following  it  down 
some  distance,  we  encamped.  The  atmosphere  was  clouded 
up,  and  betokened  falling  weather. 

The  next  morning,  (Jan.  7th),  when  I  awoke,  I  felt  an  extra 
pressure  of  something  on  my  blanket,  which  had  the  effect  to 
keep  off  the  wind,  and  produce  warmth ;  and  on  opening  its 
folds,  I  threw  off  a  stratum  of  an  inch  or  two  of  snow.  We 
had  been  fatigued  by  the  day's  march,  and  slept  soundly. 

Some  eight  miles'  travel  brought  us  to  the  junction  of  this 
little  tributary  with  the  Mehausca,  where  our  guides,  by  recog- 
nizing known  objects,  reassured  themselves  of  their  true  posi- 
tion. It  was,  however,  still  hazy  and  obscure,  and  doubts  soon 
again  arose  in  their  minds  as  to  the  proper  course.  After 
travelling  some  miles  in  this  perplexity,  they  were  at  length 
relieved  by  observing  a  known  landmark  in  the  peak  of  Bald 
hill.  This  mark  was,  however,  soon  lost  sight  of,  and,  the 
atmosphere  still  continuing  overclouded,  dark,  and  hazy,  they 
speedily  became  again  bewildered.  I  was  surprised  at  this ;  it 
denoted  a  want  of  precision  of  observation,  which  an  Indian 
certainly  could  not  have  been  charged  with.  He  is  able,  in 
the  worst  weather,  to  distinguish  the  north  from  the  south  face 


ARRIVE  AT   BEAVER   CREEK.  119 

of  a  mature  and  weathered  tree  —  a  species  of  knowledge,  of 
the  utmost  consequence  to  him  in  his  forest  wanderings. 

An  experiment,  of  letting  a  certain  horse  take  his  course 
homeward,  by  throwing  the  reins  upon  his  neck,  was  adopted 
by  our  guides ;  but  after  trying  it  for  some  time,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  give  it  up.  It  was  clear  that  the  animal  was 
going  directly  from  home ;  and  Fisher,  who  believed  in  be- 
witched guns,  was  obliged  to  yield  the  point.  Not  long  after 
resuming  the  reins,  Holt  announced,  in  the  dense  atmosphere 
which  enveloped  us,  that  we  were  ascending  the  valley  hills 
that  border  the  main  channel  of  White  river.  As  soon  as  this 
was  verified,  and  we  had  reached  the  highest  point,  the  guides 
both  fired  their  rifles,  to  advertise  their  families,  on  the  bot- 
tom-lands below,  of  their  approach ;  and  we  were  soon  wel- 
comed, at  the  hunters'  cabins  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  creek, 
"by  dogs,  women,  and  children,  all  greasy  and  glad." 

During  this  trip,  I  had  listened  to  frequent  recitals  of  the 
details  of  hunting  the  bear,  beaver,  deer,  and  other  animals, 
the  quality  of  dogs,  the  secret  of  baits,  &c. — a  species  of  forest 
lectures,  the  details  of  which,  at  the  moment,  were  new  to  me, 
and  had  the  charm  of  novelty,  and  the  merit  of  information ; 
but  which  it  is  unimportant,  at  this  length  of  time,  to  repeat.* 


*  Vide  Journal  of  a  Tour  into  the  Interior  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 
London,  1821. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

DESCEND   WHITE    RIVER  IN  A   CANOE — ITS   PURE   WATER,    CHARAC- 
TER,   AND    SCENERY  —  PLACES    OF    STOPPING  —  BEAR    CREEK 

SUGAR-LOAF  PRAIRIE  — BIG  CREEK  —  A  RIVER  PEDLAR  —  POT 
SHOALS MOUTH  OF  LITTLE  NORTH  FORK DESCEND  FORMIDA- 
BLE   RAPIDS,    CALLED    THE    BULL    SHOALS STRANDED    ON    ROCKS 

A    PATRIARCH    PIONEER MINERALOGY ANTIQUE    POTTERY 

AND    BONES SOME    TRACE    OF    DE    SOTO A    TRIP   BY    LAND 

REACH   THE   MOUTH   OF   THE   GREAT   NORTH   FORK. 

I  determined  to  descend  the  river  from  the  hunters'  cabins 
at  Beaver  creek,  being  the  highest  location  to  which  a  pioneer 
hunting  population  had  pushed,  and  with  this  view  purchased 
a  large  and  new  canoe,  of  about  twenty  feet  in  length,  from 
the  enterprising  hunters.  Putting  into  this  such  articles  from 
our  former  packs  as  were  deemed  necessary,  and  some  provi- 
sions, I  took  the  bow,  with  a  long  and  smooth  pole  to  guide  it 
in  rapids  and  shoals,  and  gave  the  stern  to  my  companion,  with 
a  steering-paddle.  It  was  now  the  9th  of  January.  Bidding 
adieu  to  our  rough,  but  kind  and  friendly  guides,  wf  pushed 
into  the  stream,  and  found  ourselves  floating,  with  little  exer- 
tion, at  the  rate  of  from  three  to  four  miles  per  hour.  The 
very  change  from  traversing  weary  plains  and  prairies,  and 
ascending  steep  cliffs,  was  exhilarating  and  delightful. 

White  river  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  enchanting 
streams,  and  by  far  the  most  transparent,  which  discharge  their 
waters  into  the  Mississippi.  To  a  width  and  depth  which  entitle 
it  to  be  classed  as  a  river  of  the  third  magnitude  in  Western 
America,  it  unites  a  current  which  possesses  the  purity  of 
crystal,  with  a  smooth  and  gentle  flow,  and  the  most  imposing, 
diversified,  and    delightful  scenery.     Objects  can  be  clearly 

(120) 


WHITE   RIVER  —  ITS    SCENERY.  121 

seen  in  it,  through  the  water,  at  the  greatest  depths.  Every 
pebble,  rock,  fish,  or  shell,  even  the  minutest  body  which  occu- 
pies the  bottom  of  the  stream,  is  seen  with  the  most  perfect 
distinctness ;  and  the  canoe,  when  looking  under  it,  seemed, 
from  the  remarkable  transparency  of  the  water,  to  be  sus- 
pended in  air.  The  Indians,  observing  this  peculiarity,  called 
it  Unica,  which  is  the  transitive  form  of  white.  The  French 
of  Louisiana  merely  translated  this  term  to  la  riviere  an 
Blanc.  It  is,  in  fact,  composed  of  tributaries  which  gush  up 
in  large  crystal  springs  out  of  the  Ozark  range  of  mountains,, 
and  it  does  not  receive  a  discoloured  tributary  in  all  its  upper 
course.  These  gigantic  springs,  which  are  themselves  a  curi- 
osity, originate  in  the  calcareous  or  sandstone  strata  of  that 
remarkable  chain,  and  are  overlaid  by  a  heavy  oceanic  deposit 
of  limestone,  quartz,  hornstone,  and  chert  pebbles,  which  serve 
as  a  filtering-bed  to  the  upspringing  waters.  Sometimes  these 
pebbles  are  found  to  be  jasper,  of  a  beautiful  quality. 

The  scenery  of  its  shores  is  also  peculiar.  Most  frequently 
the  limestone,  which  has  been  subjected  to  the  destructive 
power  of  the  elements,  is  worn  into  pinnacles  of  curious  spiral 
shapes.  Where  the  river  washes  the  base  of  these  formations, 
a  high  and  precipitous  wall  of  rock  casts  its  shadow  over  the 
water.  On  the  shores  opposite  to  such  precipices,  there  is 
invariably  a  rich  diluvial  plain,  covered  by  a  vigorous  forest 
of  trees,  clothed  in  all  the  graceful  luxuriance  of  a  summer 
foliage. . 

If  the  shores  be  examined  to  any  distance  inland,  the  calca- 
reous rock  is  found  to  exhibit  frequent  caverns,  where  the  per- 
colation of  the  waters  has  produced  stalactites  of  beautiful 
forms,  or  the  concretions  are  spread  upon  the  floors  of  these 
caves  in  curious  masses. 

Often,  upon  the  shores,  we  observed  the  graceful  doe.  At 
early  hours  in  the  morning,  the  wild  turkeys  appeared  in  large 
flocks,  with  their  plumage  glistening  in  the  light.  The  duck, 
goose,  and  brant,  often  rose  up  before  us,  and  lighted  in  the 
stream  again  below  us ;  and  we  thus  drove  them,  without 
intending  it,  for  miles.  Sometimes,  perched  on  some  high 
pinnacle  or  towering  tree,  the  eagle,  hawk,  or  heron,  surveyed 
11 


122  AN    OLD    PIONEER. 

our  descent,  as  if  it  were  an  intrusion  upon  their  long  undis- 
turbed domain. 

A  few  miles  below  our  point  of  embarkation,  we  passed,  on 
the  left  shore,  a  precipitous  wall  of  calcareous  rock,  on  the 
summit  of  which  I  observed  the  location  of  the  cavern,  into 
the  mouth  of  which  I  descended  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  on 
my  outward  journey ;  and  it  now  seemed  probable  that  the 
ramifications  which  I  saw  by  the  dim  light  admitted,  were  of 
an  extensive  character. 

As  the  shades  of  night  overtook  us,  a  hunter's  cabin  was 
descried  on  the  left  shore,  where  a  landing  was  made.  It 
proved  to  be  occupied  by  a  person  of  the  name  of  Yochem,  who 
readily  gave  us  permission  to  remain  for  the  night.  He  told 
us  we  had  descended  thirty  miles.  He  regaled  us  hospitably 
with  wild  viands,  and,  among  other  meats,  the  beaver's  tail — a 
dish  for  epicures. 

Resuming  the  descent  at  an  early  hour,  a  couple  of  miles 
brought  us  to  the  inlet  of  Bear  creek — a  stream  coming  in  on 
the  right  side,  which  is  described  as  long,  narrow,  and  crooked. 
Nothing  denoted  that  man  had  ever  made  his  residence  along 
this  part  of  the  stream.  We  floated  on  charmingly.  At  every 
turn,  some  novel  combination  of  scenery  presented  itself.  As 
evening  drew  near,  a  hunter's  cabin  appeared  on  our  right, 
and,  a  couple  of  miles  further,  another  on  our  left,  near  one 
of  those  natural  monuments  of  denudation  common  to  the  lime- 
stone of  this  river,  which  is  called  the  Sugar-loaf.  We  stopped 
for  the  night  at  this  habitation,  and  found  it  to  be  occupied  by 
a  Mr.  Coker.  The  old  man  received  us  with  the  usual  frank 
and  friendly  air  and  manner  of  a  hunter.  More  than  fifty 
years  must  have  marked  his  frontier  pilgrimage  on  its  con- 
stantly shifting  boundary.  He  stood  some  six  feet  three  in 
height,  was  erect  and  thin,  and  looked  like  one  of  the  patriarchs 
of  the  woods,  who,  cherishing  his  personal  independence  and 
his  rifle,  had  ever  relied  upon  his  own  arm  for  a  support,  and 
distrusted  nothing  on  earth  half  so  much  as  Indians.  In  his 
view,  the  Osages  were  the  perfection  of  robbers ;  and  he  con- 
gratulated us  on  getting  out  of  their  country  with  our  scalps 
safely  on  our  heads,  and  our  "plunder"  (a  common  word  here 


THE   POT   SHOALS.  123 

for  baggage)  untouched.     It  appeared  from  his  estimates  that 
we  had  descended  the  river  twenty-five  miles. 

Rain  fell  copiously  during  the  night ;  but  it  ceased  before 
daylight  (11th),  by  the  earliest  gleams  of  which  we  were  again 
in  motion,  descending  the  pellucid  river.  At  the  computed 
distance  of  sixteen  miles,  we  passed  the  mouth  of  Big  river,  a 
considerable  stream  on  the  left  banks,  where  I  halted  a  few 
moments  to  see  a  new  location  which  had  just  been  commenced. 
A  small  clearing  had  been  made  in  the  dense  canebrake,  and  a 
log  house  commenced.  Shortly  below  this  spot,  we  encountered 
a  river  pedlar,  ascending  the  stream  with  his  commodities  in  a 
canoe.  On  conversing  with  him,  I  found  his  knowledge  of 
affairs  very  local  and  partial.-  Of  the  outer  world,  and  of  its 
news,  he  knew  nothing. 

At  every  stage  of  our  progress,  the  river  was  increasing  in 
its  volume ;  and,  soon  after  this  occurrence,  we  observed  its 
velocity  accelerated,  and  almost  imperceptibly  found  ourselves 
gliding  rapidly  over  the  Pot  Shoals.  This  rapid  appeared  less 
formidable  than  had  been  anticipated.  I  rose  up  to  observe 
the  draught  of  the  current,  and,  by  a  few  strokes  of  the  pole, 
kept  the  canoe  in  the  force  of  the  stream.  About  seven  miles 
below  these  shoals,  and  just  as  evening  closed  in,  a  house  ap- 
peared on  the  left  shore.  It  proved  to  be  M'Garey's,  at  whose 
domicile  we  had  originally  struck  on  crossing  the  wilderness 
from  Potosi.  He  was  glad  to  hail  our  return  from  a  region, 
against  the  Indian  occupants  of  which,  he  had  decidedly  warned 
us  on  our  outward  trip,  but  from  whom  we  had  fortunately 
received  no  injury.  He  informed  us  that  we  had  this  day 
descended  the  river  forty  miles,  that  being  the  received  distance 
to  Sugar-loaf  Prairie. 

We  were  indeed  cordially  received  as  old  acquaintances,  and 
congratulated  on  our  perseverance  in  visiting  a  region  where 
Indian  hostility  was  so  much  to  be  dreaded.  On  learning  that 
the  Osages  had  retired  west,  and  that  the  country  abounded  in 
game,  one  of  the  sons  of  our  host  prepared  to  push  into  that 
region.  M'Garey  told  us  that  he  had  delivered  "Butcher," 
agreeably  to  our  order,  to  Holt ;  but  the  latter,  on  travelling 
a  day's  journey  toward  Beaver  creek,  had  found  him  too  feeble 


124  A   PERILOUS    SITUATION. 

to  proceed,  and,  after  taking  off  his  shoes,  had  abandoned  him 
to  the  wolves.  Sad  emblem  of  the  fate  of  persons  who  have 
served  great  men,  till  they  have  reached  some  pinnacle  where 
the  service  is  forgotten,  because  no  longer  necessary ! 

Nearly  opposite,  but  a  little  below  this  cabin,  we  passed,  on 
the  12th,  the  mouth  of  the  Little  North  Fork ;  a  stream  origi- 
nating in  a  broken  region  on  the  left  bank,  and  having  some 
alluvions  at  its  mouth.  Evidences  of  habitation  became  more 
frequent  below  the  Little  North  Fork,  which  caused  me  to 
cease  noting  their  succession  in  my  journal. 

Nothing  of  special  interest  occurred  to  mark  the  day's  pro- 
gress, till  we  reached,  at  an  advanced  hour  in  the  afternoon, 
the  Bull  shoals.     At  this  formidable  rapid,  the  river  probably 
sinks  its  level  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  the  space  of  half  a 
mile.     Masses  of  limestone  rock  stand  up  in  the  bed  of  the 
river,  and  create  several  channels.     Between  these  the  river 
foams  and  roars.     When  I  arose  in  the  canoe  to  take  a  view 
of  the  rapid  into  which  we  were  about  to  plunge,  the  bed  of 
the  stream  appeared  to  be  a  perfect  sheet  of  foam,  whirling 
and  rushing  with  great  force  and  tumult.     As  I  knew  not  the 
proper  channel,  and  it  was  too  late  to  withdraw,  the  only  step 
left  was  to  keep  the  canoe  headed,  and  down  we  went  most 
rapidly.     Very  soon  the  canoe  leaped  on  a  round  rock,  driving 
on  it  with  great  force,  and  veered  about  crosswise.     In  an 
instant  I  jumped  into  the  water  at  the  bows,  while  my  compa- 
nion did  the  same  at  the  stern,  and,  by  main  force,  we  lifted  it 
over  the  ledge,  got  in  quickly,  and  again  headed  it  properly. 
We  were,  emphatically,  in  the  midst  of  roaring  rapids ;  their 
very  noise  was  deafening.     The  canoe  had  probably  got  down 
six  hundred  yards,  when  a  similar  difficulty  occurred,  at  the 
head  of  a  second  shute  or  bench  of  rocks,  reaching  across  the 
river.     In  an  instant,  it  again  struck.     It  was  obviated  by 
getting  into  the  water,  in  the  same  way  as  on  the  first  occa- 
sion ;  only,  however,  to  put  our  strength  and  skill  to  the  test 
a  third  time,  after  which  we  shot  down  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids 
safely.     We  had  managed  neither  to  ship  water,  nor  to  lose  a 
piece  of  baggage.      We  were,  however,  thoroughly  wetted,  but 
kept  our  position  in  the  canoe  for  five  miles  below  the  rapid, 


ANTIQUITIES  —  SOME   TRACE    OF   DE    SOTO.  125 

bringing  us  to  the  head  of  Friend's  settlement.  We  landed, 
at  a  rather  early  hour  in  the  evening,  at  a  log  building  on  the 
left  shore,  where  we  were  hospitably  received  by  Teen  Friend, 
a  man  of  mature  age  and  stately  air,  the  patriarch  of  the 
settlement.  It  was  of  him  that  we  had  heard  stories  of  Osage 
captivity  and  cruelty,  having  visited  one  of  the  very  valleys 
where  he  was  kept  in  "  durance  vile." 

The  antiquities  and  mineral  appearances  in  that  vicinity 
were  represented  as  worthy  of  examination ;  in  consequence 
of  which,  I  devoted  a  part  of  the  next  day  (13th)  to  these 
objects.  The  neighboring  hills  consist  of  stratified  limestone. 
The  surface  of  the  soil  exhibits  some  fragments  of  hornstone 
and  radiated  quartz,  with  indications  of  iron-ore.  At  the 
shoals,  traces  of  galena  and  calcareous  spar  occur. 

Mr.  Friend,  being  familiar  from  personal  observation  with 
the  geography  and  resources  of  the  country  at  large,  states 
that  rock-salt  is  found  between  the  south  fork  of  White  river 
and  the  Arkansas,  where  the  Pawnees  and  Osages  make  use 
of  it.  It  is  presumed  that  this  salt  consists  of  crystalline 
masses  from  the  evaporation  of  saline  water.  He  represents 
the  lead-ores  on  its  north-western  source,  which  we  had  par- 
tially explored,  as  very  extensive. 

If,  as  is  probable,  De  Soto  ranged  over  these  regions  in  his 
extensive  marches  between  the  St.  Francis  and  Arkansas,  his 
exploratory  parties  may  have  reached  the  locality  of  crystal- 
line salt  referred  to,  and  he  would  have  found  the  buffalo  in 
several  positions  east  of  that  place. 

The  antiquarian  objects  to  which  my  attention  was  called, 
afforded  the  greatest  degree  of  interest.  They  consisted  of 
pieces  of  earthenware,  some  antique  fragments  of  bone,  and  a 
metallic  alloy,  resting  in  a  substance  resembling  ashes,  and 
also  arrow-heads.  The  metallic  alloy,  of  which  Mr.  F.  gave 
me  a  specimen,  resembles  a  combination  of  lead  and  tin.  But 
what  adds  to  the  interest  attending  the  discovery  of  these 
articles,  is  the  fact,  that  they  lie,  apparently,  below  the  diluvial 
deposits,  bearing  a  heavy  forest,  and  at  the  geological  line  of 
intersection  with  the  consolidated  rocks. 

From  the  apparent  vestiges  in  this  quarter,  I  am  of  opinion 
11* 


126  NEW   ENGLAND    PIONEER. 

that  Dc  Soto's  "  Tanico"  must  be  located  in  this  vicinitv,  and 
that  he  crossed  the  White  river  near  this  place.  A  march 
west  of  this  point,  over  a  hilly  country,  would  bring  him  into 
the  fertile  valley  of  the  Little  Red  river,  or  Buffalo  creek  — 
his  probable  Tula,  'where  his  people  first  tasted  the  flesh  of  this 
animal,  and  where  he  recruited  his  army  for  a  new  effort. 

These  inquiries  occupied  the  morning.  It  was  late  before 
we  embarked,  and,  at  some  four  miles  below,  we  landed  on  the 
right  shore,  at  a  Mr.  Zadock  Lee's,  being  the  first  New  Eng- 
lander  whom  we  had  met  in  this  region.  With  him  we  took 
dinner.  He  appeared  pleased  to  see  us,  and  conducted  me  to 
see  some  antique,  white,  lime-like  masses,  in  the  earth,  near 
the  bank  of  the  river,  which  had  the  appearance  of  decayed 
bones.  Rumor  speaks  of  some  other  antiquities  in  this  quarter 
of  the  country,  in  the  shape  of  bricks,  concealed  by  the  un- 
disturbed soil ;  but  I  saw  nothing  of  this  kind.  While  here, 
Mr.  Lee's  son  returned  from  the  forest  with  the  flesh  of  the 
bear  and  buffalo,  the  fruits  of  his  own  prowess  in  the  chase, 
and  amused  us  with  an  account  of  his  recent  exhibition  of 
skill  in  these  departments.  We  embarked  and  descended  the 
river  six  miles,  to  a  Mr.  Jacob  Yochem's,  who  received  us 
with  hospitality,  and  added  no  little,  by  his  conversation,  to 
our  local  lore. 

It  "was  determined,  the  next  morning,  (14th,)  to  loan  our 
canoe,  which  was  a  capacious,  new,  and  clean  vessel,  made 
from  white-ash,  to  our  host,  to  enable  him  to  transport  his 
hunter  products  to  a  market  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  North 
Fork,  leaving  our  baggage  to  be  brought  that  way.  The  dis- 
tance by  water  is  thirty-five  miles ;  by  land,  probably  not 
more  than  eighteen  or  twenty.  By  this  step,  we  avoided  the 
dangers  of  navigating  two  formidable  rapids,  called  the 
Crooked  Creek  and  Buffalo  Shoals ;  the  former  situated  fifteen, 
and  the  latter  twenty  miles  below  Yochem's. 

We  left  our  host's  at  a  seasonable  hour  in  the  morning, 
taking  a  good  horse-path ;  and  we  walked  diligently  till  near 
dusk,  before  reaching  our  destination.  We  then  had  the  whole 
volume  of  White  river  between  us  and  our  purposed  place  of 
lodgment,  which  wTas  at  the  residence  of  a  man  named  Mat- 


JOURNEY   ON  FOOT.  127 

ney.  It  was  the  only  house  "within  a  considerable  distance  at 
■which  shelter  for  the  night  could  be  obtained ;  and  we  did  not 
hesitate  long  between  the  two  alternatives  presented  to  us  — 
either  of  lying  out  in  the  woods  all  night,  or  of  fording  the 
river,  with  the  depth  of  which  we  were  not  acquainted.  We 
chose  the  latter,  and  accordingly  prepared  for  the  attempt. 
At  the  shallowest  part  we  could  find,  it  was  about  four  feet 
deep  in  the  channel ;  but  we  struggled  through,  and  reached 
the  house  just  at  nightfall,  wet  and  chilly.  We  were  hospi- 
tably received,  and  speedily  made  ourselves  comfortable.  We 
had  been  told  that  the  distance  was  fifteen  miles ;  but  to  us, 
who  had  diligently  footed  it,  it  seemed  more  than  twenty. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

DETENTION  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  GREAT  NORTH  FORK  —  NATU- 
RAL HISTORY  OF  THE  VICINITY  —  GREAT  BLOCKS  OF  QUARTZ — 
IMPOSING  PRECIPICES  OF  THE  CALICO  ROCK — A  CHARACTERISTIC 
OF  AMERICAN  SCENERY CHEROKEE  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  COUN- 
TRY BETWEEN    THE  WHITE  AND  ARKANSAS    RIVERS — ITS  EFFECTS 

ON     THE     PIONEERS QUESTION    OF    THE     FATE    OF    THE     INDIAN 

RACES — IRON-ORE — DESCENT  TO  THE  ARKANSAS  FERRIES — LEAVE 
THE  RIVER  AT  THIS  POINT — REMARKS  ON  ITS  CHARACTER  AND 
PRODUCTIONS. 

The  canoe  had  not  yet  arrived,  nor  was  there  any  tidings 
of  it  the  next  morning ;  so  that  there  was  no  alternative,  in 
our  present  situation,  but  to  wait  patiently.  I  determined  to 
improve  the  delay  by  exploring  the  neighborhood.  It  is  a 
geographical  point  of  some  importance,  being  the  head  of  the 
navigation  of  White  river  for  all  large  craft  ascending  from 
the  Mississippi.  As  yet,  nothing  but  keel-boats  have  ascended. 
Between  the  point  of  our  embarkation  at  Beaver  creek  and 
this  spot,  the  river  has  a  fall  of  about  sixty  feet,  at  four  rapids, 
which  clo  not  probably  extend  over  a  mile  or  two  in  the  aggre- 
gate. The  stream,  during  the  rest  of  the  way,  has  a  fine, 
lively  current,  seldom  of  great  velocity,  and  never  stagnates. 
The  Great  North  Fork,  the  scene  of  our  former  ramblings, 
enters  a  short  distance  below  the  foot  of  the  Buffalo  Shoals, 
rendering  the  draught  of  water  practicable,  it  is  believed,  for 
steamboats  at  all  seasons. 

I  found  the  pebble-stones  and  boulders  on  the  margin  and 
bed  of  the  river,  -which  I  leisurely  examined,  to  afford  a  true 
representation  of  the  formations  which  had  been  observed  in 
traversing   the  elevated  and   broken  surface  of   the  Ozarks. 

(128) 


PECULIARITIES   OF   SCENERY.  129 

They  consist  of  the  various  limestones  and  sandstones  of  the 
region,  with  a  partial  mixture  of  quartz  rock,  red  sienite,  horn- 
stone,  argillaceous  rock,  and  the  peculiar,  egg-shaped,  coarse 
yellow  jasper,  which  appears  to  have  been  imbedded  in  some 
of  its  strata.  On  ascending  the  cliffs  west  of  the  valley,  they 
were  observed  to  consist  of  the  characteristic  limestone  of  the 
region,  in  horizontal  layers,  the  upper  strata  containing  im- 
pressions of  shells.  Very  large  angular  masses  of  quartz  rock 
lie  near  the  bases  of  these  cliffs.  Some  of  the  angles  of  these 
masses  would  probably  measure  fourteen  feet.  Their  position 
here  appears  to  be  quite  anomalous,  as,  from  the  absence  of 
attrition,  they  are  clearly  not  of  the  erratic  block  group. 
They  appear  to  indicate  a  primitive  formation  near. 

The  half  hunter,  half  farmer,  to  whom  we  had  loaned  our 
canoe,  came  with  a  number  of  his  companions  in  the  evening, 
and  entered  on  a  scene  of  merriment,  to  which,  as  the  cabin 
had  but  one  room,  we  were  compelled  to  be  unwilling  spectators 
during  the  livelong  night,  though,  from  its  character,  not  par- 
ticipating at  all  therein.  As  soon  as  there  was  light  sufficient 
to  discern  objects  (16th),  we  embarked,  rejoiced  to  get  clear 
of  this  extraordinary  nocturnal  scene.  About  half  a  mile 
below,  we  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Great  North  Fork,  and, 
some  five  or  six  miles  further,  entered  and  descended  a  swift 
channel,  called  the  Crooked  rapids,  where  there  probably  has 
been  some  slight  geological  disturbance  in  the  bed  of  the 
river,  observable  in  very  low  stages  of  water. 

At  the  distance  of  ten  miles  more,  a  sudden  turn  of  the 
river  brought  us  in  full  sight  of  the  picturesque,  elevated,  and 
precipitous  shore,  called  the  Calico  Rock.  This  presents  a 
most  imposing  facade,  on  which  are  observable  the  imitative 
forms  of  fantastic  architectural  devices.  The  wall  is  quite 
precipitous  throughout.  It  is  the  calcareous  rock  of  the  region. 
Its  summit  is  overlaid  with  ochreous  clays  of  various  colors, 
which,  through  the  action  of  the  elements,  have  imparted  their 
fanciful  hues  to  portions  of  the  cliff.  This  abrupt  species  of 
scenery  is  quite  peculiar  to  the  American  landscape.  A  still 
more  imposing  section  of  it  is  presented  in  the  Pictured  Hocks 
of  Lake  Superior.     Nothing  of  this  kind  marks  the  banks  of 

I 


1 

130  DISSATISFACTION   OF   SETTLERS. 

the  Rhine,  so  much  eulogized  by  travellers ;  for  all  its  forma- 
tions partake  of  the  parabolic,  or  curved  lines  of  the  primitive, 
and  the  eye  is  relieved  by  these  gradations ;  but,  in  the  brusque 
scenes  of  the  West,  the  precipices  are  as  marked  as  if  they 
had  been  hewn  down  by  some  gigantic  broad-axe.  There  are 
some  sections,  in  keeping  with  these  harsh  landscapes,  on  the 
Mississippi,  along  the  Missouri  shores — less  prominently  along 
the  Illinois  borders,  near  Alton  —  and  at  places  in  Iowa  and 
Wisconsin;  but  more  characteristic  in  Minnesota,  as  the  river 
escapes  from  its  primitive  plains,  and  plunges  over  the  falls 
of  St.  Anthony.  We  descended  about  thirty  miles  this  day, 
and  found  lodgment,  at  night,  at  a  house  on  the  left  bank, 
occupied  by  a  Mr.  Jeffery. 

The  next  morning  (17th),  on  descending  five  miles,  we 
stopped  at  a  Mr.  Williams's  to  prepare  breakfast,  where  some 
persons  were  gathering  to  hear  an  itinerant  preacher.  Twenty 
miles  lower,  we  stopped  for  the  night,  at  a  widow  Lafferty's. 

From  the  remarks  made  at  the  places  where  we  have  been 
entertained  by  the  hunters  and  settlers  on  this  river,  there  is 
considerable  dissatisfaction  with  a  treaty*  made  with  the  Che- 
rokee Indians,  by  which  a  part  of  that  nation  are  assigned  a 
location  between  the  north  banks  of  the  Arkansas  and  the 
south  bank  of  White  river.  Many  of  them,  including  our 
hostess  to-night,  and  the  M'Gareys,  Lees,  and  Matneys  above, 
have  lands  in  cultivation,  with  dwelling-houses,  stock,  and 
improvements,  of  more  or  less  value,  on  the  south  banks  of  the 
river ;  which,  as  they  apprehend,  under  the  operation  of  this 
treaty,  they  are  to  relinquish  to  the  Cherokees. 

The  truth  is,  the  first  white  occupants  of  the  frontiers, 
though  generally  rough  men,  and  without  a  title  to  the  lands 
they  settle  on,  are  the  pioneers  of  civilization ;  and  by  thus 
taking  their  lives  in  their  hands,  and  encountering  the  perils 
of  the  wilderness  and  of  Indian  hostility,  they  lay  the  govern- 
ment under  a  strong  obligation  to  protect  them.  The  natural 
hatred  of  races  is  such,  that  they  are  everlastingly  on  ill  terms 

*  Treaty  of  8th  July,  1817.    Vide  Indian  Treaties,  p.  209. 


REFLECTIONS   ON   THE    FATE   OF   THE   INDIAN.  131 

■with  the  Indians,  and  the  Indians  with  them.  It  is  difficult  to 
say  which  of  the  two  races,  during  this  period  of  contact,  is 
most  suspicious  of  the  other. 

The  Indians,  also,  look  up  to  the  government  with  strong 
claims  for  justice  and  protection.  The  frontier,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century,  was  on  and  near  the  Atlantic 
borders,  from  Maine  to  Georgia,  and  long  continued  east  of 
the  Alleghany  mountains.  It  is  already  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  that  mighty  geographical  highway,  which,  like  a 
longitudinal  line,  stretches  across  seventeen  degrees  of  latitude, 
every  mile  of  which  will,  ere  long,  be  settled  and  cultivated  by 
the  Anglo-American  race.  As  the  population  presses  first  on 
the  Indian's  hunting-grounds,  and  next  on  his  cornfields,  he 
flies  before  the  irresistible  tide,  and  takes  shelter  at  some  more 
remote  western  point.  But  he  is  hardly  well  seated  on  his  new 
hunting-grounds  —  he  has  hardly  begun  to  reap  his  new  corn- 
fields— when  the  pioneers  of  the  same  race  that  disturbed  him 
before,  are  upon  him  ;  and  again,  and  again  he  must  fly  before 
the  resistless  —  the  uncontrollable  tide  of  migration.  It  is  a 
providential  reflux  in  the  wave  of  races.  It  is  something  to  be 
observed,  rather  than  to  be  apprehended  and  understood.  It 
seems  to  say,  that  the  surface  of  the  habitable  earth  was  not 
formed  for  the  permanent  occupancy  of  races  who  rely  on  the 
pleasing  and  exciting  uses  of  the  bow  and  arrow ;  and  that 
labor,  which  was,  at  the  first,  declared  to  be  the  proper  condi- 
tion of  man,  is  destined  to  sweep  away,  if  it  cannot  merge  in 
its  on-rush,  these  erratic  and  picturesque  tribes.  Where  their 
frontiers  will  be  found,  a  hundred  years  hence,  the  voice  of 
history,  looking  to  the  past,  may  only  tell ;  but  this  appears 
more  appreciable  and  clear — that  the  perpetuation  of  the  race 
as  one  of  the  elements  of  mankind,  must  depend,  in  the  sequel, 
however  long  that  sequel  be  postponed,  on  his  substantial 
adoption  of  the  principles  of  industry,  letters,  and  Christianity. 
The  "  tents  of  Shem,"  however  we  may  read  the  prediction,  are 
still  to  be  occupied,  if  they  are  not  now,  by  a  broad  philanthropy, 
to  be  merged  into  those  of  the  higher  civilization  of  Japhet. 
For,  the  civilization  and  the  moral  elevation  of  man  is  the  great 
object  of  revelation ;  and  it  appears  clear,  and  conformable  to 


132  A   FANCIED    TREASURE. 

reason,  that,  where  future  history  is  taught  in  the  Pentateuch 
by  figures,  it  should  be  figuratively,  and  not  dogmatically, 
explained. 

On  leaving  Mrs.  Lafferty's,  in  the  morning  of  the  18th,  we 
descended  about  five  miles,  and  stopped  to  breakfast  at  a  Mr. 
Jones's.     Humor  had  pointed  out  this  place  as  the  locality  of 

*  a  tin-mine.  The  frontiersmen  are  greatly  disposed  to  excite 
each  other's  imaginations  by  reports  of  mines  and  discoveries, 
every  one  of  which  is  fancied  to  be  some  new  Potosi  or  El 
Dorado.     Our  host  was  not  backward  in  bringing  to  me  some 

C"  specimens  of  his  supposed  treasure.  It  consisted  of  several 
heavy  lumps  of  the  ore  called,  by  mineralogists,  iron  glance. 
It  had  the  usual  color,  great  weight,  and  high  metallic  lustre. 
He  represented  it  as  occurring,  in  large  bodies,  about  eight  or 
ten  miles  north  of  his  house,  on  high  lands,  at  the  surface. 

We  had  proceeded  some  miles  on  our  way,  when  a  large 
black  bear  was  discovered  on  the  shore.  It  appeared  to  be 
about  to  plunge  in  for  the  purpose  of  crossing  the  river,  when 
our  presence  alarmed  it,  and  the  animal,  with  its  usual  clumsy 
gait,  betook  himself  to  the  woods  again.  The  clumsiness  of 
this  animal's  motions  seems  to  be  owing  to  the  bluntness  of  its 
hind  paws,  which  appear  as  if,  we  should  suppose,  it  arose  from 
re-curved  legs.  The  Indians  laugh  at  the  gait  of  bruin.  We 
had  encountered  this  species  several  times  before,  and  always, 
as  on  this  occasion,  found  it  disposed  to  flee. 

Fifteen  miles  below  Jones's  cabin,  we  passed  Harden's  ferry, 
the  house  being  on  the  right  bank ;  and,  two  miles  further  on, 
we  passed  Morrison's  ferry.  Continuing  our  descent  eight 
miles  lower,  we  landed  at  a  place  called  Poke  Bayou,  where 
we  were  hospitably  received  by  a  Mr.  Robert  Bean.  The  river 
had  now  become  a  magnificent  body  of  water,  still  clear  and 
beautiful.  We  were  here  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Missis- 
sippi alluvions.  No  highlands  are  visible  for  some  distance 
before  reaching  Harden's.  The  river  winds  through  broad, 
fertile  plains,  bearing  a  most  vigorous  growth  of  forest  trees. 
The  banks  are  elevated  some  thirty  feet  above  the  water,  and, 
as  the  stream  increases  in  depth  and  strength,  they  become 


ORIENTAL   ASPECT    OF   THE   COUNTRY.  133 

subject  to  be  undermined  by  the  flood.  The  cane,  -which  is 
common  to  the  river  in  its  entire  length,  even  to  the  highest 
elevations  of  the  Ozarks,  is  here  of  a  tall  and  most  vigorous 
growth.  It  is  this  plant,  I  apprehend,  more  than  any  other 
feature,  which  gives  an  oriental  cast  to  these  alluvial  tracts ;  * 
and  I  was  almost  ready,  at  some  points,  where  the  growth 
concealed  the  trunks  of  the  heavy  forest,  to  see  the  hippopo- 
tamus and  elephant  display  their  clumsy  forms.  For  these, 
however,  we  had  the  buffalo,  the  cougar,  and  the  bear,  whose 
crackling  strength,  as  they  passed  through  these  reedy  mazes, 
had,  on  more  than  one  occasion  during  our  rambles,  reminded 
us  of  the  great  muscular  power  of  these  boasted  objects  of; 
hunter  skill  and  enterprise.  Often  had  a  fine  dog,  in  the  nar- 
rations of  the  hunters,  paid  the  penalty  of  coming  within  the 
stroke  of  the  latter ;  and  we  could  sympathise  with  the  loss 
of  an  animal,  which  is  of  the  highest  value  in  his  pursuits.  It 
is  due  to  this  class  of  men  to  say,  that,  however  rough  they 
are  in  their  manners,  we  were  uniformly  received  by  them  with 
a  frank  hospitality,  which  appears  to  be  always  a  point  of  honor 
with  them ;  nor  did  any  of  the  number,  to  whom  reward  was 
proffered  for  entertainment,  ever  condescend  to  receive  a  cent 
for  anything  in  the  shape  of  food  or  lodging. 

The  point  of  our  landing  was  at  the  crossing  of  the  lower 
Arkansas  road.  About  twelve  or  fourteen  buildings  of  all 
sorts  were  clustered  together,  forming  a  small  village,  which  is 
now  called  Batesville ;  being  the  only  one  which  had  been 
encountered  since  leaving  Potosi. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ANCIENT   SPOT   OP   DE   SOTO'S   CROSSING    WHITE    RIVER  IN    1542 

LAMENESS  PRODUCED  BY  A  FORMER  INJURY — INCIDENTS  OF  THE 
JOURNEY  TO  THE  ST.  FRANCIS  RIVER  —  DE  SOTO'S  ANCIENT 
MARCHES  AND  ADVENTURES  ON  THIS  RIVER  IN  THE  SEARCH 
AFTER  GOLD — FOSSIL  SALT — COPPER — THE  ANCIENT  RANGES  OF 
THE   BUFFALO. 

I  determined  to  quit  the  river  at  this  point,  and,  after  a 
night's  rest,  made  the  necessary  arrangements. 

There  is  almost  a  moral  certainty  that  De  Soto  must  have 
crossed  the  river  above  this  place.  The  make  of  the  land,  and 
the  custom  of  the  Indians  in  choosing  the  best  ground  for  a 
path  to  travel  from  village  to  village,  would  determine  this. 
His  position,  after  crossing  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Francis,  and  reaching  the  high  grounds  of  the  latter,  would 
lead  the  natives  who  were  his  guides  to  keep  the  elevated  and 
dry  ranges  leading  to  the  buffalo  country,  west ;  and  he  must 
have  crossed  the  affluents  of  the  Black  and  Currents  rivers  at 
a  high  point  towards  the  Ozarks.  The  dry  and  open  woods 
afforded  the  best  ground  for  the  march  of  his  cavalry ;  and 
when  he  attempted  to  reach  the  salt  and  buffalo  country  from 
the  region  east  of  White  river,  the  roughness  of  the  country 
would  lead  him  to  the  central  points  of  that  stream.  It  would 
be  interesting,  as  a  point  of  antiquarian  interest,  to  know 
where  the  old  Indian  paths  were  located.  The  roads,  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  were  based  on  these.  They  led  to  the 
most  practicable  fords  of  rivers,  they  avoided  swamps  and 
boggy  grounds,  and  evinced  a  thorough  geographical  know- 
ledge of  the  conformation  of  the  country. 

(134) 


DISABLED    BY   LAMENESS.  135 

To  travel  where  De  Soto  had  travelled,  and  where  he  had 
performed  some  of  his  heroic  feats,  had  something  pleasing,  at 
least,  in  the  association.  Doubtless,  had  the  first  occupants 
of  Upper  Louisiana  been  as  mindful  of  historical  reminiscences 
as  they  were  set  on  repeating  his  search  for  gold  and  silver 
mines,  they  might  have  been  rewarded  by  finding  some  of  the 
straggling  bones  of  his  broken-down  Andalusian  cavalry.  The 
fragments  of  broken  arms  and  trappings  were  yet,  perhaps, 
concealed  by  the  accumulated  rank  vegetable  soil  of  Arkansas 
and  Southern  Missouri,  whence  the  plough  may  at  no  distant 
day  reveal  them. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  when,  having 
made  every  necessary  preparation,  we  left  Mr.  Bean's.  I 
regretted  the  necessity  of  making  a  selection  from  my  collec- 
tion of  minerals  and  geological  specimens.  We  set  out  with 
great  alacrity.  For  the  first  five  miles,  we  passed  over  a  level, 
fertile  tract,  with  several  plantations ;  the  remaining  thirteen 
miles  were  comparatively  sterile  and  uneven,  without  settle- 
ments. We  had  passed  about  seventeen  miles  of  the  distance, 
when  my  right  foot  and  ankle  began  to  flinch.  I  was  not  sen- 
sible of  any  slip  or  sprain  in  walking,  but  rather  believe  it 
resulted  from  too  much  ardour  and  anxiety  to  get  forward.  I 
had,  about  four  years  previously,  dislocated  and  injured  the 
same  ankle  in  leaping  down  a  precipice  in  the  Green  moun- 
tains, having  mistaken  a  granitical  shelf  of  rock  at  its  base, 
which  was  covered  with  autumnal  leaves,  for  soft  soil.  I  be- 
lieve the  suddenness  and  alacrity  of  this  day's  travel,  after 
leaving  the  quietude  of  the  canoe,  had  awakened  a  sympathy 
in  the  injured  nerves.  In  a  short  time,  the  pain  was  unendu- 
rable. With  great  effort  I  walked  a  mile  further,  and  reached 
a  double  log  house,  the  mistress  of  which  bathed  the  ankle  with 
salt  and  water,  and  made  other  applications.  Some  allevia- 
tion, but  no  permanent  relief,  was  obtained.  I  then  laid  down 
under  the  hope  of  being  better,  but  awoke  on  the  morning  of 
the  20th  with  little  or  no  abatement  of  the  pain,  and  inflam- 
mation. A  traveller  on  horseback,  coming  along  that  morning 
on  a  fine  animal,  agreed,  for  a  small  compensation,  to  let  me 
ride  to  the  south  fork  of  Strawberry  river,  while  he  went  afoot. 


136  MINERAL   INDICATIONS. 

This  helped  me  over  twelve  miles  of  the  road,  where  his  path 
diverged  ;  and  I  felt  so  much  relieved  by  it,  on  dismounting, 
that  I  managed,  by  easy  stages,  to  walk  four  miles  farther, ' 
which  brought  us  to  the  main  river.  The  afternoon  was  not 
yet  spent ;  but  the  pain  of  my  ankle  had  returned  before  reach- 
ing the  river,  and  I  found  it  in  vain  to  press  forward,  without- 
adequate  repose. 

The  next  morning  (21st),  my  travelling  companion,  who 
cared  nothing  for  natural  history  or  antiquities,  and  was  urgent 
to  push  on,  left  me,  and  returned  to  St.  Louis.  Left  alone,  I  felt, 
for  a  few  moments,  a  sense  of  isolation ;  but  I  was  now  in  a 
region  where  there  was  no  longer  any  danger  to  be  appre- 
hended for  the  want  of  the  first  necessaries  of  life.  My 
lameness  required  nothing,  indeed,  but  perfect  repose.  The 
people  were  kind,  and,  when  I  ascertained  that  my  hostess  was 
a  sister  of  one  of  the  hunters  who  had  guided  me  in  the  most 
remote  parts  of  my  wanderings  in  the  Ozarks,  there  was  a 
manifest  point  of  sympathy. 

I  found  by  inquiry  that  there  were  appearances  of  a  mineral 
deposit  in  this  vicinity,  T\hich  seemed  to  connect  the  hilly 
grounds  of  Strawberry  river  with  similar  indications  which 
have  been  noticed  near  the  Bull  shoals,  on  White  river.  Ap- 
pearances denote  the  existence  of  sulphuret  of  lead  in  the 
vicinity.  The  sulphate  of  barytes,  calcareous  spar,  and  white 
crystalline  masses  of  quartz,  characterize  the  uplands.  When 
my  foot  and  ankle  would  bear  it,  I  proceeded  by  easy  paces 
northward,  going,  the  first  day  after  leaving  the  Strawberry 
•  valley,  ten  miles,  which  brought  me  to  a  place  called  Dogwood* 
Springs,  so  named  from  the  eor?ius  florida.  The  next  day  I 
went  ten  miles  further,  when  I  came  to  the  banks  of  Spring 
river,  where  I  was  entertained  by  Major  Haynes.  Here  I 
first  saw  cotton  in  the  fields,  being  the  unpulled  bolls  of  the 
autumn  crop,  which  had  not  been  thought  worth  gathering. 

Feeling  no  injury  to  result  from  these  easy  marches,  which 
gave  me  time  to  examine  the  appearances  of  the  surface,  I 
ventured  a  little  farther  on  the  recovery  of  my  ankle,  .and,  the 
third  day,  went  nineteen  miles.     In  this  distance  I  crossed  the 


SHELTER   REFUSED.  137 

stream  called  Elevenpoints,  a  tributary  to  Spring  river,  and 
came,  at  a  rather  late  hour  in  the  evening,  into  a  small  valley 
called  Foosh-e-da-maw,  a  popular  corruption  of  the  French 
Fourche  a  Thomas.  It  was  quite  dark  when  I  applied  for  a 
night's  lodging  at  a  small  cabin,  being  the  only  one  I  had 
encountered  for  many  miles.  The  man  and  his  wife,  who  were 
its  only  occupants,  were  manifestly  not  blessed  with  much  of 
this  world's  goods ;  but  they  were  kind,  and,  though  they  had 
already  gone  to  bed,  and  had  but  one  room,  they  permitted  me 
to  occupy  a  part  of  the  floor.  Spare  bed  they  had  none  ;  but, 
had  they  possessed  ever  so  many,  I  did  not  require  one. 
Camping  out  under  the  open  heavens  so  long,  had  created  a 
habit  which  made  it  impossible  for  me  to  rest  in  a  soft  bed.  I 
had  declined  one  the  night  before,  at  Spring  river,  and  thrown 
myself  on  a  single  blanket,  on  the  hard  puncheons.  I  wished 
to  keep  my  nerves  up  to  this  tense  state,  and  the  hardy  habits 
of  the  woodman,  while  I  was  compelled  to  foot  my  way,  and 
take  my  chances  for  rough  fare,  for  some  time. 

"With  the  earliest  gleams  of  light  I  was  up,  and  walked  four 
miles  to  breakfast.  Twelve  more  brought  me  to  Hicks's  ferry, 
on  a  large  stream  called  the  Currents.  I  had  camped  on  the 
source  of  this  river,  in  the  cliffs  of  the  Ozarks,  on  my  outward 
trip,  and  found  the  region  remarkable  for  its  large  saltpetre  caves. 
It  was  here  a  river  of  eight  feet  deep,  and  three  hundred  yards 
wide.  At  this  spot  I  should  have  stopped ;  for,  after  going 
beyond  it,  I  found  the  country  was  thinly  settled,  which  com- 
pelled me  to  walk  some  time  after  nightfall,  before  I  could  find 
a  house ;  and,  on  presenting  myself,  the  man  proved  to  be 
surly  and  gruff,  and  denied  me  lodging.  It  was  evident  to  me, 
from  words  that  passed,  that  his  wife  was  expecting  to  be  ill ; 
and,  as  the  house  was  small,  there  seemed  some  reason  for  his 
apparent  unkindness.  I  had  already  come  twenty-three  miles ; 
the  night  was  dark,  and  threatened  rain ;  and  the  next  house 
distant.     I  should  have  been  happy  to  exclaim,  with  the  poet, 

"  Turn,  gentle  hermit  of  the  dale,  and  guide  my  lonely  way  I" 

but  there  was  no  gentle  hermit  in  sight.     It  was  clearly  not  a 
question  of  poetry,  but  was  likely  to  be  one  of  sober,  down- 
12* 


138  GENUINE   HOSPITALITY. 

right  prose.  I  said  to  him,  finally,  after  a  look  into  the  black 
darkness  and  desolate  woods,  that  I  would  only  claim  my  length 
on  the  floor,  and,  to  give  no  uneasiness  to  his  good  lady,  be 
off  at  the  slightest  intimation.  He  consented,  and  I  laid  down 
without  receiving  any  notice  of  the  lady's  expected  illness  till 
morning,  when  I  left  my  pallet  at  a  very  early  hour.  For 
three  miles  beyond,  it  was  a  rough  region,  through  which  it 
required  daylight  to  pass,  and  where  I  must  have  lost  my  way 
in  the  dark,  had  I  gone  on,  the  night  previously. 

I  stopped  at  a  cottage  for  breakfast.  It  was  occupied  by  a 
poor  woman.  Everything  bore  tokens  of  this  fact.  She  ap- 
peared to  have  little  in  the  way  of  eatables  herself,  but  was 
very  willing,  in  the  article  of  breakfast,  to  share  that  little 
with  me.  I  had  passed  the  night  before  supperless,  after  a 
long  day's  walk,  and  the  morning's  air  had  further  excited  my 
appetite ;  still,  I  should  have  gone  on,  had  another  habitation 
been  near  at  hand ;  but  what  the  good  woman  wanted  in  means, 
she  made  up  in  readiness  and  hearty  good-will ;  and,  if  the 
meal  was  not  sumptuous,  I  arose  as  well  satisfied  as  if  I  had 
breakfasted  with  a  lord.. 

Thus  refreshed,  I  went  on  ten  miles,  which  brought  me  to 
the  banks  of  Little  Black  river.  Two  miles  beyond  this  stream, 
I  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Reeves,  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  afternoon,  my  ankle  giving  indications  of  returning  lame- 
ness. Quiet,  and  a  night's  repose,  had  the  effect  to  relieve 
these  symptoms,  and  I  was  enabled  cautiously  to  continue  my 
journey  the  next  day.  Daylight  was  ever  my  signal  for  rising, 
and,  by  easy  stages,  I  made  seventeen  miles  during  the  day, 
walking  early  and  late.  The  first  six  miles  of  this  distance 
were  made  before  I  stopped  for  breakfast,  and  the  next  ten 
miles  brought  me  to  the  ferry  over  Big  Black  river  —  a  clear, 
rapid  stream,  which,  in  its  progress  to  the  south,  is  the  reci- 
pient of  all  the  before-mentioned  streams,  from  the  Strawberry 
river,  north ;  and  is  itself,  finally,  a  tributary  of  White  river, 
maintaining  through  it  a  free  navigation  with  the  Mississippi. 
After  crossing  the  ferry,  I  went  about  half  a  mile  further,  and 
took  up  my  night's  lodgings  at  a  Mr.  Bollinger's.  I  felt  no 
further  weakness  of  my  foot  and  ankle,  and  was  happy  in  the 


THEATRE    OF   DE   SOTO?S   MOVEMENTS.  139 

reflection  that  my  cautious  movements  had  heen  such  as  not  to 
overtax  the  strength  of  my  nerves.  Indeed,  from  this  point, 
(till  1830,)  I  experienced  no  further  symptoms  of  lameness. 

On  the  next  morning  (28th),  I  walked  seven  miles,  and  took 
breakfast  at  a  Mr.  Esty's,  where  I  fell  in  ■with  the  old  road, 
which  had  originally  been  laid,  when  the  country  came  to  be 
settled,  on  the  ancient  Indian  path.  The  elevated  lands  be- 
tween Black  river  and  the  St.  Francis,  had  evidently  been  the 
line  of  march  of  De  Soto,  when  (in  1541)  he  set  forward  from 
"  Quiquate,"  on  the  St.  Francis,  toward  the  "north-west,"  in 
search  of  Coligoa.  Any  other  course  between  west  and  south- 
west, would  have  involved  his  army  in  the  lagoons,  and  deep 
and  wide  channel,  of  Black  river,  which  forms  a  barrier  for 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  toward  the  south ;  while 
this  dividing  ground,  between  the  Black  river  and  St.  Francis, 
consists  chiefly  of  dry  pine  lands  and  open  uplands,  offering 
every  facility  for  the  movements  of  his  cavalry,  which  were 
•  ever  the  dread  of  the  Indians. 

The  first  Indian  village  which  De  Soto  reached,  after  cross- 
ing the  Mississippi  —  probably  at  the  ancient  Indian  crossing- 
place  at  the  lower  Chickasaw  bluffs  —  and  pushing  on  through 
the  low  grounds,  was  on  reaching  the  elevations  of  the  St. 
Francis,  immediately  west  of  his  point  of  landing.  The  place 
was  called  Casquin,  or  Casqui ;  a  name  which  will  be  recog- 
nized as  bearing  a  resemblance  to  one  of  the  Illinois  tribes,  who 
have  long  been  known  under  the  name  of  Kaskaskias.  From 
this  place  on  the  high  lands  of  the  St.  Francis,  he  ascended 
that  river,  keeping  the  same  side  of  its  current,  through  a  fine 
country,  abounding  in  the  pecan  and  mulberry,  a  distance  of 
seven  leagues,  to  the  central  position  of  the  Casquins.  Here 
it  was,  and  not  on  the  immediate  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  that 
he  erected  a  gigantic  cross,  formed  out  of  a  pine  tree,  which, 
after  it  was  hewn,  a  hundred  men  could  not  lift. 

From  this  place,  after  a  rest  of  several  days,  he  was  led,  by 
the  wily  chief,  to  march  against  the  village  and  chief  of  Capaha, 
who  was  his  hereditary  enemy,  and  who  had,  in  past  encoun- 
ters, proved  himself  more  than  his  equal  in  prowess.     De  Soto 


140  IDENTIFICATION    OF   INDIAN   TRIBES. 

was  caught  in  this  trap,  -which  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  his 
gallant  army. 

Descending  the  high  grounds,  evidently,  towards  the  north- 
east, and  crossing  alluvial  tracts,  by  a  march  of  about  six  days 
he  reached  the  enemy,  well  posted,  strong  in  numbers,  and  of 
great  bravery,  on  the  pastoral  elevations,  which  we  are  disposed 
to  look  for  at  the  site  of  the  modern  Spanish  town  of  New 
Madrid.  Capaha  took  shelter  on  a  thickly  wooded  island  in 
the  Mississippi  river,  where  De  Soto,  assisted  by  his  allies, 
attacked  him  in  canoes,  and  from  which  his  allies,  and  after- 
wards he  himself,  were  glad  to  retreat.  The  chief  was  a  most 
brave,  energetic  young  man,  and  fought  against  his  combined 
enemies  with  the  spirit  inspired  by  long  acknowledged  success. 
This  place  formed  the  extreme  northern  limit  of  De  Soto's 
expedition  on  the  line  of  the  Mississippi,  and  must  have  been 
north  of  35°.  After  this  effort,  he  retraced  his  steps  slowly 
back  to  Casqui. 

The  Kapahas,  of  whom  the  Sioux  are  ethnologically  a  branch, 
have  occupied  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  extending  to  ■ 
the  base  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  as  long  as  we  have  known 
that  stream.  They  have  been  inveterate  enemies  of  the  whole 
Algonquin  race,  to  which  the  Kaskaskias  and  Illinois  belonged ; 
and  it  is  not  improbable  that  they  had,  at  this  early  day,  not 
only  encountered  the  Spaniards,  but  that,  after  their  with- 
drawal, they  fell  on  the  Casquins,  and  drove  them  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  into  the  country  of  the  Illinois. 

While  De  Soto  was  in  the  country  of  Capaha,  he  learned 
that  about  forty  leagues  distant,  (west,  it  must  needs  have 
been,)  there  were,  in  the  hill  country,  quantities  of  fossil  salt, 
and  also  a  yellowish  metal,  which  he  supposed  to  be  gold.  He 
despatched  two  trusty  and  intelligent  men,  with  Indian  guides 
and  carriers,  to  procure  samples.  After  an  absence  of  eleven 
■days,  they  returned,  with  six  of  the  Indians  laden  with  crystals 
of  salt,  and  one  of  them  with  metallic  copper.  A  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  west  of  the  supposed  point  of  starting,  would 
carry  the  messengers  across  the  valley  of  White  river,  and  far 
into  the  Ozark  plains  and  elevations,  between  the  south  fork 
of  that  stream,  and  the  north  banks  of  the  Arkansas  —  the 


KENTUCKY   CURRENCY.  141 

same  region,  in  fine,  mentioned,  in  a  prior  part  of  these 
sketches,  as  yielding  those  articles,  on  the  authority  of  the 
experienced  woodsman,  Teen  /Friend.  The  country  through 
which  these  messengers  passed  was  sterile  and  thinly  inha- 
bited;  but  they  reported  it  to  be  filled  with  herds  of  buffalo. 
These  reports  led  him  to  march  down  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Francis,  till  he  reached  the  village  called  Quiguate.  From 
thence,  having  heard  of  a  locality  called  Coligoa,  where  he 
thought  there  might  be  gold,  he  marched  again  north-west  in 
search  of  it.  This  march,  in  which  he  followed  a  single  Indian 
guide,  must  have  led  him  to  the  foot  of  the  rough,  mountain- 
ous, granitic,  and  mineral  region,  at  the  sources  of  the  St. 
Francis.  But  this  search  proved  also  a  disappointment.  He 
was  informed  that,  six  leagues  north  of  Coligoa,  the  buffalo 
existed  in  vast  herds ;  but  that,  if  he  would  reach  a  rich  pro- 
vince, he  must  march  south.  It  is  possible  that,  in  this  lati- 
tude, he  may  have,  a  little,  exceeded  the  utmost  point  reached 
by  him  on  the  Mississippi ;  and  he  hence  confined  his  adven- 
turous marches  to  Southern  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 

Having  taken  the  road  again,  after  my  halt  at  Esty's,  I 
travelled  diligently  ten  miles,  at  which  distance  I  reached  the 
ferry  of  Dr.  Bettis,  at  the  St.  Francis.  The  scene  was  rural 
and  picturesque,  the  river  winding  along  in  a  deep  and  rapid 
bed,  between  elevated  and  fertile  banks.  From  appearances, 
and  old  fields,  it  seemed  altogether  such  a  spot  as  might  have 
answered  the  glowing  Spanish  descriptions  of  Casqui.  The 
ferry  was  managed  by  a  black  man ;  and  we  cut  an  American 
half-dollar  on  the  top  of  an  oak  stump,  agreeably  to  the  Ken- 
tucky mode,  to  adjust  the  ferriage.  On  landing  on  the  north 
bank,  I  pursued  my  journey  six  miles  farther,  to  one  Smith's. 
It  was  now  the  28th  of  January,  and  the  weather  so  mild,  that 
I  this  day  found  the  witch-hazel  in  bloom. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PROCEED  NORTH — INCIDENTS  OF  THE  ROUTE — A  SEVERE  TEMPEST 
OF  RAIN,  WHICH  SWELLS  THE  STREAM  —  CHANGE  IN  THE  GEO- 
LOGY  OF   THE   COUNTRY — THE   ANCIENT   COLIGOA   OF   DE    SOTO  — 

A  PRIMITIVE  AND   MINERAL  REGION ST.  MICHAEL — MINE   A   LA 

MOTTE — WADE   THROUGH   WOLF   CREEK  —  A  DESERTED   HOUSE  — 
CROSS   GRAND   RIVER — RETURN   TO   POTOSI. 

I  left  my  night's  quarters  before  daylight  was  fairly  deve- 
loped. The  sky  was,  indeed,  heavily  overcast,  and  it  soon 
commenced  raining.  Expecting  to  find  a  house  at  no  great 
distance,  I  kept  on,  the  rain  at  the  same  time  assuming  a  more 
settled  form,  and  falling  with  steadiness.  It  was  seven  miles 
before  I  reached  shelter  (Swaim's).  I  was  thoroughly  wetted, 
and,  the  storm  continuing  without  abatement,  I  remained  until 
the  next  morning.  The  atmosphere  was  then  clear,  and  the 
sun  rose  pleasantly ;  but  the  roads  were  a  perfect  quagmire. 
An  immense  body  of  rain  had  fallen.  Every  little  rivulet 
roared  as  if  it  were  a  torrent  that  was  out  of  all  patience  to 
deliver  its  quantum  of  water  to  the  swollen  St.  Francis.  The 
ground  was  perfectly  saturated  with  water ;  but  I  picked  my 
way  four  miles  to  breakfast.  It  had  been  my  intention  to  cross 
the  St.  Francis,  and  take  the  route  through  Caledonia  to 
Potosi ;  but  after  travelling  sixteen  miles  towards  the  north- 
west, and  reaching  the  fords,  I  found  them  too  much  swollen 
to  make  the  attempt. 

After  crossing  the  St.  Francis,  towards  the  north,  there  are 
strong  indications  of  a  change  in  the  geological  structure  of 
the  country.  The  horizontal  limestone  and  sandstone  series 
still  continue  for  a  distance ;  but  they  are  covered  with  large 
blocks  of  sienite  and  granite.     What  is  remarkable  in  these 

(142) 


REGION   OF   DE   SOTO'S   COLIGOA.  143 

blocks,  is  their  angular  character,  which  denotes  that  they 
have  not  been  carried  far  south  of  their  original  beds.  These 
blocks  increase  in  frequency  and  size  as  we  approach  the  pri- 
mitive highlands  of  the  St.  Francis.  And  I  at  length  stood, 
gazing  at  these  rough,  red,  crystalline  peaks,  and  high  orbi- 
cular knobs,  which  reach  up  from  beneath  and  through  the 
calcareous  and  sedimentary  series,  without  having  lifted  up  the 
latter  into  inclined  positions,  or  in  the  least  disturbing  their 
horizontality — a  proof  of  their  priority  of  position. 

I  passed  the  night  near  the  fords,  at  a  farmer's  ;  and  finding 
it  impossible,  the  next  morning,  to  pursue  this  route,  or  to  get 
a  boat  or  canoe  to  cross  the  river,  obtained  directions  for  mak- 
ing my  way  north-eastwardly,  towards  St.  Michael's.  I  was 
now  in  the  probable  region  of  De  Soto's  Coligoa,  the  utmost 
north-westwardly  point  of  his  explorations.  And  it  ceased  to 
be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  the  Indians  had  given  him  such 
wonderful  accounts  of  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  sources  of  the 
St.  Francis.  The  white  inhabitants,  at  this  day,  have  similar 
notions.  They  perceive  such  an  unusual  geological  display 
before  and  around  them,  that  they  suppose  it  indicates  mineral 
treasures.  There  are  stories  afloat  of  all  kinds  of  mineral  disco- 
veries— not  of  gold,  indeed,  which  was  De  Soto's  search,  but  of 
tin,  lead,  copper,  iron,  cobalt,  and  antimony.  The  iron  moun- 
tains of  Bellevieu,  so  called,  are  part  of  this  development.  At 
a  place  called  the  Narrows,  the  river  rushes  between  alpine 
peaks  of  sienite  and  black  hornblende  rock,  which  lies  in 
huge  and  confused  heaps,  plainly  indicating  ancient  volcanic 
action.  I  had  examined  this  region,  with  minuteness,  the  pre- 
vious summer,  in  an  excursion  through  the  southern  limits  of 
the  lead-mines,  and  now  revisited  some  of  the  points,  respect- 
ing which,  my  curiosity  was  unsatisfied.  I  wandeied  among 
these  attractive  peaks  about  ten  miles,  and  slept  at  a  house 
(Burdett's),  to  the  occupant  of  which,  I  had  carried  a  letter  of 
introduction  the  year  before. 

The  next  day  (Feb.  1)  proved  rainy ;  but  I  took  advantage 
of  intervals  in  the  weather  to  advance  on  my  general  course 
about  three  miles.  The  sky,  the  next  morning,  was  still 
cloudy,  dark,  and  unsettled.     When  it  indicated  signs  of  clear- 


144  WADE   THROUGH   WOLF   CREEK. 

ing  up,  I  was  advised  of  another  ford  of  the  St.  Francis,  at  a 
higher  point ;  and  I  proceeded  a  part  of  the  way  to  reach  it ; 
but  accounts  discouraged  me,  and  I  bent  my  steps  to  the  vil- 
lage of  St.  Michael.  Two  miles  north  of  this,  I  came  to  the 
noted  lead-mine  of  La  Motte,  the  most  southerly  in  position 
of  the  Missouri  circle  of  mines.  At  this  place,  they  raised 
large  tubular  masses  of  lead-ore,  from  its  position  in  the  red, 
marly  clay.  The  slags  drawn  from  the  ash-furnace  denoted, 
by  the  intensity  of  their  blue  color,  its  connexion  with  the 
oxide  of  cobalt.  Ten  miles  beyond  these  mines,  after  passing 
an  uninhabited  tract,  I  entered  Cook's  settlement,  where  I  slept. 

Next  day,  I  was  again  in  motion  at  early  dawn.  The  effects 
of  the  late  copious  rains  were  still  an  impediment  to  travelling ; 
but  I  experienced  no  further  symptoms  of  lameness,  and  felt  the 
desire  to  press  on,  increasing  in  proportion  as  I  drew  near  my 
starting-point  in  the  prior  autumn.  I  felt  that  I  had  succeeded 
in  the  accomplishment  of  a  trip  of  some  peril,  through  a  noted 
mountainous  range,  into  which  all  but  one  of  my  original  party 
had  failed  to  accompany  me,  and  my  guides  had  deserted  me 
at  a  moment  of  peculiar  peril.  It  was  also  true  that  my  only 
companion  had  rather  abruptly  left  me,  when  taken  lame  on 
the  road.  I  could  not,  as  I  approached  the  spot  of  organizing 
my  party  for  this  exploration,  help  feeling  a  degree  of  buoyancy 
of  spirits,  while  returning  to  it,  in  the  hope  of  again  meeting 
familiar  acquaintances  face  to  face. 

Under  this  impulse,  and  with  the  high  health  produced  by 
daily  exercise,  I  travelled  ten  miles  on  the  following  day.  On 
reaching  Wolf  creek,  it  was  found  to  be  filled  to  overflowing, 
It  was  already  dark  ;  and  a  ruinous,  tenantless  house,  with  the 
doors  and  windows  standing  open,  was  the  only  object  that 
presented  itself  on  the  opposite  bank.  Horse  or  canoe,  there 
was  none ;  but  there  could  be  no  hesitation  in  attempting  to 
cross  it.  The  waters,  in  the  deepest  parts  of  the  channel, 
reached  to  my  breast.  I  came  out,  of  course,  dripping ;  it 
was  still  two  miles  to  the  next  house,  and,  casting  furtive 
glances  at  the  masses  of  darkness  in  the  deserted  dwelling,  and 
with  a  path  muddy  and  indistinct,  I  hurried  on  to  the  point  of 
my  destination. 


RETURN   TO    POTOSI.  145 

It  was  the  4th  of  February  when  I  crossed  Big  river,  the 
Grande  river  of  the  days  of  Crozat  and  the  financier  Law.  I 
was  carried  across  it  in  the  ferry-boat,  and  took  my  way  over 
the  sylvan,  long,  sweeping  mineral  hills,  which  stretch  toward 
Potosi,  entering  that  busy  town  at  a  seasonable  hour,  having 
travelled  fifteen  miles.  The  first  acquaintance  I  encountered, 
on  reaching  within  a  few  miles  of  it,  was  a  Major  Hawkins — 
a  surveyor,  an  old  resident,  and  a  good  woodsman,  who,  cor- 
dially extending  his  hand  to  welcome  my  return,  exclaimed, 
"  I  thought  the  Indians  or  the  wolves  had  long  ago  eaten  you 
up."  This  was  the  first  intimation  I  received  that  there  had 
been  any  temerity  in  the  plan  for  this  expedition. 

Potosi  was  now  selected  as  the  place  for  drawing  up  an 
account  of  the  mines,  and  the  mineralogical  productions  and 
resources,  of  the  country  —  a  memoir  on  which,  was  published 
at  New  York  in  the  autumn  of  this  year  (1819),  and  which  is 
inserted,  in  a  revised  form,  in  the  Appendix  to  these  sketches. 


13 


PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  WEST. 

TWO   LETTERS   ADDRESSED   TO   THE   HON.  J.  B.  THOMAS,  U.  S. 

SENATE,  WASHINGTON. 


Potosi,  Missouri,  Feb.  9th,  1819. 

Sir  :  I  beg  leave  to  address  you  on  tbe  subject  of  my  recent  expe- 
dition into  the  Ozark  region.  When  I  was  at  your  house  at  Cahokia, 
I  mentioned  to  you  my  design  of  making  a  tour  into  the  interior  of 
the  Territory.  I  ka\-e  just  returned  from  the  excursion.  Two  per- 
sons were  associated  with  me  in  the  enterprise ;  but  one  of  them,  our 
mutual  friend,  Mr.  Brigham,  was  compelled  by  illness  to  relinquish 
the  journey,  and  return,  after  he  had  reached  Potosi. 

We  proceeded  in  a  south-west  direction,  which  carried  us  across  the 
sources  of  the  Maramec  and  Gasconade.  We  then  entered  on  the 
elevated  highlands,  which  alternately  pour  their  waters  into  the  Mis- 
souri and  Mississippi  rivers,  reaching,  in  their  development,  to  the 
Washita  river.  Through  this  rough  alpine  range,  the  Arkansas, 
rising  in  the  Rocky  mountains,  penetrates,  and  is  the  only  river  that 
completely  separates  the  chain.  Our  explorations  were  confined  to 
the  region  lying  on  its  northern  banks.  Winter  overtook  us  on  the 
sources  of  the  White  river,  giving  us  a  few  days  of  severe  weather, 
but  offering,  generally,  no  impediment  to  travelling.  There  is  much 
that  is  most  striking  and  picturesque  in  the  scenery  of  this  region,  and 
:  not  less  in  its  productions  and  physical  character.  Nowhere,  proba- 
bly, on  the  globe,  is  there  such  a  remarkable  succession  of  limestone 
caverns,  and  large,  transparent  springs.  At  several  places,  large 
brooks  flow  abruptly  out  of  crevices  in  the  rock ;  and  at  one  place,  a 
flowing  stream,  Spring  river,  thus  originates.  We  found  the  ores  of 
lead,  iron,  and  manganese,  in  large  bodies.  The  high  uplands  are 
often  rent  by  precipitous  valleys  and  large  chasms,  caused  by  the  force 
of  these  streams.  These  valleys  are  well  wooded,  and  contain  the 
richest  soil.     And  this  broad  region  must  at  no  distant  day  attract 

(146) 


LETTERS   TO    SENATOR   THOMAS.  147 

settlement,  and  will  afford  facilities  for  agriculture  and  mining,  while 
its  abundant  water-power  gives  it  great  advantages  for  milling  and 
manufactures. 

The  country  is  a  continuation  of  the  limestone  and  sandstone  forma- 
tions of  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  The  number  and  extent 
of  the  caverns  in  this  formation,  is,  indeed,  remarkable.  They  yield 
saltpetre  earth,  wherever  they  have  been  explored.  Nitrate  of  potash 
has  been  manufactured  in  some  of  these  caves,  and  transported  across 
the  wilderness  for  eighty  miles;  and  a  valuable  traffic  in  this  article 
may  be  established.  In  the  district  between  the  head-waters  of  White 
river  and  the  Arkansas,  salt  is  found,  in  a  crystallized  state,  in  the 
prairies.  The  region  is  still  occupied  by  herds  of  the  buffalo,  elk, 
deer,  and  by  the  bear,  and  smaller  animals  of  the  latitude,  which 
renders  it  an  attractive  country  to  hunters  and  trappers. 

The  Osage  Indians,  who  inhabit  it,  are  the  cause  of  fear  and  alarm 
to  this  class ;  but  it  did  not  appear  to  us,  from  the  sparse  numbers  of 
the  Indians,  and  the  periodical  flying  visits  they  are  in  the  habit  of 
making  the  eastern  and  northern  parts  of  it,  that  there  is  ground  of 
permanent  apprehension  from  this  source.  The  policy  of  locating  the 
Cherokees  on  the  north  banks  of  the  Arkansas,  may  well  be  ernes-  j 
tioned ;  and  I  have  heard  this  arrangement  much  spoken  against. 

Indeed,  the  agricultural  value  of  the  country  has  been  much  under-""" 
rated.  Independent  of  the  mineral  discoveries  mentioned,  the  arable 
lands  of  the  Ozark  summit-level  constitute  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  beautiful  districts  in  the  Territory.  The  high  grass  and  flowers 
which  cover  the  prairie-lands,  impart  the  most  sylvan  aspect  to  the 
scene.  Springs  of  the  purest  water  abound,  and,  by  avoiding  the 
chasms,  the  country  is  susceptible  of  being  traversed  by  roads.  It  - 
only  requires  to  be  better  known,  to  attract  the  notice  of  emigrants, 
and  will  some  day  bear  a  great  population.  I  do  not  doubt  that  the 
high  road  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Smith  will  probably  cross  this  tract 
of  country.     Such  a  route  must  greatly  shorten  the  distance. 

I  cannot  refer  you  to  a  correct  map  of  the  country,  and  therefore 
enclose  you  a  sketch,  explanatory  of  my  route.  From  a  conversation 
with  Mr.  Brigham,  I  cannot  mistake  your  friendly  influence  in  these 
explorations.  I  am  desirous  to  extend  them  to  other  parts  of  the 
frontiers.  I  understand  that  the  Secretary  of  War  entertains  enlarged 
and  enlightened  views  on  the  subject.  I  should  be  pleased  to  be 
employed  in  this  branch  of  the  public  service. 

I  am,  with  respect,  your  ob't  serv't, 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft. 


148  LETTERS   TO    SENATOR   THOMAS. 

II. 

Potosi,  Feb.  15,  1819. 

Sir  :  I  had  the  honor,  on  the  9th  instant,  to  address  you  on  the 
subject  of  my  journey  into  the  region  of  the  Ozarks.  You  will  allow 
me  again  to  trouble  you  on  the  subject  of  explorations. 

Government  has  long  been  acquainted,  by  reports,  with  the  existence 
of  native  copper  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  the  banks  of  lake  Supe- 
rior. I  believe  the  attempt  was  made  about  1798,  to  have  the  localities 
explored.  I  know  not  what  success  attended  that  attempt.  Probably 
the  remoteness  of  the  country,  and  the  hostility  of  the  Indian  tribes, 
were  unfavorable.  But  I  am  persuaded  that  the  object  is  one  of 
importance. 

The  mineralogy  of  those  regions  became  the  topic  of  early  interest, 
even  in  the  days  of  the  French  supremacy.  Copper  appears  to  cha- 
racterize an  extensive  area.  It  is  stated  to  break  out  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  St.  Anthony's  falls,  and  to  continue  through  to  the 
southern  shores  of  lake  Superior.  In  its  exploration,  other  traits  of 
the  natural  history  of  the  country  would  be  developed. 

The  establishment  of  a  military  post  at  St.  Anthony's  falls,  renders 
the  present  a  favorable  time  for  exploring  the  region.  Its  features 
and  resources  are  objects  of  deep  interest;  and  it  appears  to  be  the 
policy  of  the  government,  in  the  disposition  of  its  western  and  north- 
ern posts,  to  prepare  the  way  for  ascertaining  these  traits  at  the 
earliest  period.  The  position  of  the  most  advanced  posts  which  are 
now  in  the  process  of  location,  is  such  as  to  afford  great  facilities  for 
exploration.  The  hostilities  of  the  Indians  are  repressed,  and  a  sur- 
vey of  these  parts  of  the  public  domain  could  now  be  effected  with 
comparative  safety,  and  at  little  expense. 

Should  you  think  the  appointment  of  an  agent  for  this  purpose,  to 
accompany  some   of  the   military  movements,   would   be  favorably 
received  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  may  I  indulge  the  hope  that,  in 
recommending  it,  you  will  remember  me  in  the  premises  ? 
I  am,  with  respect,  your  ob't  serv't, 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft. 


APPENDIX. 


OBSERVATIONS 


ON   THE 


MINERALOGY,  GEOLOGY,  ANTIQUITIES, 


AND 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  WESTERN  COUNTRY. 


13  *  (149) 


LIST  OF  PAPERS. 

A.  MINERALOGY,  GEOLOGY,  AND  MINES. 

1.  A  View,  of  the  Lead-Mines  of  Missouri. 

2.  A  Catalogue  op  the  Minerals  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

3.  Mineral  Resources  of  the  Western  Country.    A  Letter  to  Gen. 

C.  G.  Haines. 

B.  GEOGRAPHY. 

1.  Missouri. 

2.  Hot  Springs  of  Washita. 

3.  Memoir  of  White  River. 

4.  List  of  Steamboats  on  the  Mississippi  River  in  1819. 

C.  ANTIQUITIES  AND  INDIAN  HISTORY. 

1.  Articles  of  curious  workmanship  found  in  ancient  Indian  Graves. 

2.  Ancient  Indian  Cemetery  found  in  the  Maramec  Valley. 


(150) 


I.  LEAD-MINES  OF  MISSOURI. 


A  MEMOIR  ON  THE  GEOLOGY  AND  MINERALOGY  OF  MISSOURI, 

DRAWN  UP  IN  1819. 


PREFACE. 

When  we  reflect  on  the  history  of  our  own  country  —  its  ad- 
vance in  arts,  commerce,  and  agriculture,  and  the  rapidity  with  which 
its  population  has  increased,  and  its  resources  been  developed  —  the 
mind  is  with  difficulty  brought  to  believe  that  all  this  has  taken  place 
within  a  comparatively  short  period.  These  developments  are  parti- 
cularly striking  in  the  region  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains.  A 
new  world  has,  as  it  were,  been  discovered  in  the  Mississippi  valley 
which,  under  the  strong  impulse  of  emigration,  has  been  transformed, 
as  if  by  superhuman  exertions.  No  sooner  had  its  great  fertility  and 
productiveness  become  known,  than  a  universal  desire  for  correct 
information  sprang  up.  Our  first  travellers  in  that  region  did  little 
more,  however,  than  glance  at  its  most  obvious  and  grand  features; 
and  with  respect  to  some  topics,  such  as  its  anticpuities  and  natural 
history,  these  notices  have  had  the  effect  rather  to  stimulate,  than  to 
gratify  curiosity. 

But,  whatever  information  has  been  published  respecting  the  coun- 
try, its  mineralogy  and  geology  have  remained  wholly  unnoticed. 
The  mines  of  Missouri,  especially,  have  failed  to  attract  the  consider- 
ation which  they  merit.  To  supply  this  deficiency,  I  have  written 
the  following  memoir.  It  is  the  result  of  no  ordinary  degree  of  op-; 
portunity  of  observation  upon  the  particular  mines,  and  their  geolo- 
gical position  in  the  great  metalliferous  limestone  formation  west  of 
the  Mississippi.     Besides  visiting  the  principal  mines,  and  traversing 

(151) 


152  PREFACE. 

the  country  thoroughly,  to  ascertain  the  character  and  value  of  its 
mineral  resources  and  geological  developments,  I  made  an  exploratory 
tour  through  the  hroad  and  elevated  region  of  the  Ozarks,  lyiDg  west 
and  south  of  this  celebrated  tract,  extending  into  the  Territory  of 
Arkansas.  If,  therefore,  I  have  failed  to  collect  a  body  of  facts  suffi- 
cient to  impress  the  reader  with  a  sense  of  the  extent,  value,  and 
importance  of  the  country,  and  particularly  of  its  mines  and  mine- 
rals, it  can  hardly  be  ascribed  to  a  want  of  opportunity,  or,  indeed, 
of  assiduity  in  the  study  or  arrangement  of  my  facts. 

The  historical  data  here  recorded,  respecting  Renault's  operations, 
have  never,  I  believe,  appeared  in  print.  They  were  elicited  in  the 
course  of  a  legal  investigation,  instituted  between  the  heirs-at-law  of 
Renault,  the  agent  of  Crozat,  in  1723,  and  sundry  individuals,  who 
claimed  the  same  grants  on  the  authority  of  a  date  subsequent  to  the 
transfer  of  Louisiana  to  the  United  States. 

The  drawings  I  give  of  the  lead-furnaces  which  are  peculiar  to  that 
section  of  country,  are  from  actual  measurement,  done  under  the  eye 
of  an  operative  smelter  of  approved  skill  at  Potosi,  and  are  conceived 
to  be  minutely  correct. 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft. 

New  York,  Nov.  25,  1819. 

In  republishing  this  memoir,  advantage  has  been  taken  of  several 
judicious  suggestions  respecting  it,  made  in  a  critical  notice  of  it,  by 
the  able  editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Science,  in  the  volume 
of  that  work  for  1821. 

H.  R.  S. 

Washington,  Jan.  20,  1853. 


A  VIEW  OF  THE  LEAD-MINES  OF  MISSOURI. 


SECTION   I. 

HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   MINES. 

The  rage  for  adventure,  -which  the  brilliant  exploits  of  Cortez,  Pizarro, 
and  other  Spanish  adventurers,  had  excited  throughout  Europe,  continued 
for  a  long  time  to  agitate  the  public  mind,  and  had  not  abated  at  the 
commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  an  idea  of  the  mineral 
riches  of  Louisiana  had  become  prevalent.  Gold  and  silver  were  then 
the  chief  objects  which  engrossed  attention  ;  and  in  search  of  them,  the 
earliest  discoverers  were  led  to  penetrate  into  the  interior.  The  physical 
aspect  of  the  country  was  in  general  such  as  to  flatter  the  most  sanguine 
expectations  of  mineral  wealth ;  and  the  further  the  country  became 
known,  the  more  interesting  was  found  its  mineralogical  character.  To 
men  whose  preconceived  ideas  of  a  country  were  already  high,  such 
appearances  must  have  had  the  most  inspiriting  effect,  and  lightened  the 
embarrassments  they  encountered  in  exploring  a  wilderness.  Many  of 
the  useful  metals  were  thus  met  with,  and  gold  and  silver  mines  were 
reported  to  have  been  discovered  in  several  places.  Red  river,  the  Arkan- 
sas, and  the  river  La  Platte  of  the  Missouri,  were  particularly  mentioned ; 
and  from  the  evidence  which  is  afforded  by  the  discovery  of  ancient  fur- 
naces, &c,  there  is  reason  to  conclude  that  those  metals  were  wrought  at 
a  very  early  period.  Judging  from  appearances,  they  were  ready  to 
conclude  the  country  exhaustless  in  mines ;  and  the  most  exaggerated 
accounts  of  them  appear  to  have  been  transmitted  to  Europe,  particularly 
to  France,  where  a  lively  interest  was  felt  in  the  prosperity  of  the  infant 
colonies  in  Louisiana  and  Illinois ;  and  in  the  descriptions  published  at 
that  day,  the  lands  are  reputed  to  equal  in  fertility  the  banks  of  the  Nile, 
and  the  mountains  to  vie  with  the  wealth  of  Peru. 

It  was  in  this  supposition  of  the  immense  wealth  of  Louisiana,  both  in 
the  vegetable  and  mineral  kingdoms,  that  the  renowned  Mississippi 
scheme  originated,  which,  from  the  imposing  character  it  was  made  to 
assume  under  the  guidance  and  direction  of  M.  Law,  drew  upon  it  the 


154  APPENDIX. 

eyes,  not  only  of  France,  but  of  all  Europe,  and  produced  one  of  the  most 
memorable  disappointments  recorded  in  the  annals  of  commercial  specu- 
lation. 

Louis  XIV.,  by  letters  patent,  bearing  date  September  14th,  A.  D.  1712, 
granted  to  Anthony  Crozat,  Counsellor  of  State,  Secretary  of  the  House- 
hold, &c,  the  exclusive  privilege  of  commerce  of  that  district  of  country, 
now  known  as  the  States  of  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  and  Illinois, 
and  the  Territories  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  with  the  proprietary  right 
of  the  mines  and  minerals  he  should  discover  in  the  country,  reserving 
the  fifth  part  of  all  bullion  of  gold  and  silver,  and  the  one-tenth  of  the 
produce  of  all  other  mines.  The  exclusive  privilege  of  commerce  was 
granted  for  a  term  of  fifteen  years ;  but  the  right  of  the  mines  was 
conveyed  in  perpetuity  to  him  and  his  heirs,  on  the  condition  that  such 
mines  and  minerals  should  revert  back  to  the  crown  of  France,  whenever 
the  working  of  them  was  discontinued  for  three  years  together.  The 
bounds  of  Louisiana,  as  granted  to  Crozat,  are  described  in  these  words : 
"  Bounded  by  New  Mexico,  (on  the  west,)  and  by  the  lands  of  the  Eoglish 
of  Carolina,  (on  the  east,)  including  all  the  establishments,  ports,  havens, 
rivers,  and  principally  the  port  and  haven  of  the  Isle  of  Dauphine,  here- 
tofore called  Massaere ;  the  river  of  St.  Louis,  heretofore  called  Missis- 
sippi, from  the  edge  of  the  sea  as  far  as  the  Illinois ;  together  with  the 
river  of  St.  Philip,  heretofore  called  Ouabache  (Wabash) ;  with  all  the 
countries,  territories,  lakes  within  land,  and  the  rivers  which  fall  directly 
or  indirectly  into  that  part  of  the  river  of  St.  Louis." 

In  the  month  of  August,  A.  D.  1717,  M.  Crozat  solicited  permission  to 
retrocede  to  the  crown  his  privilege  of  the  exclusive  commerce  and  the 
mines  of  Louisiana,  which  was  granted  by  an  arret  of  the  Council  of  State, 
during  the  minority  of  Louis  XV.  In  the  same  month,  letters  patent 
were  granted  by  the  Council  of  the  Regency  to  an  association  of  indivi- 
duals at  Paris,  under  the  name  of  "  The  Company  of  the  West,"  by  which 
they  were  invested  with  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the  commerce  of  Louis- 
iana, and  the  working  of  the  mines,  to  the  same  extent  as  it  was  enjoyed 
under  the  grant  of  Crozat.  These  letters  patent  were  dated  on  the  23d 
of  August,  A.  D.  1717,  registered  6th  September  of  the  same  year,  and 
were  to  be  in  force  on  the  1st  of  January,  1718,  and  to  continue  for  a 
period  of  twenty-five  years.  By  them,  not  only  such  grants  and  privileges 
were  conveyed  as  had  previously  been  enjoyed  by  Crozat ;  but  they  were 
invested  with  additional  powers,  rights,  and  privileges.  The  territory 
was  granted  in  free  allodium,  [en  franc  allien,)  in  lordship  and  in  justice, 
the  crown  reserving  to  itself  no  other  rights  or  duties  but  those  of  fealty 
and  liege  homage,  which  the  company  was  required  to  pay  to  the  kino-, 
and  to  his  successors  at  each  mutation  of  kings,  with  a  crown  of  gold  of 
the  weight  of  thirty  marks.  The  boundaries  were  the  same  as  described 
in  the  grant  to  Crozat ;  and  the  mines  and  mining  grounds,  opened  or 
discovered  during  the  term  of  its  privilege,  were  declared  to  belong  to  the 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF   THE   MINES.  155 

company  incommutably,  •without  being  holden  to  pay  any  rents  or  pro- 
ceeds whatever.  The  company  was  also  invested  with  the  right  to  sell 
and  alienate  the  lands  of  its  concession,  at  whatever  price  or  rents  they 
might  fix,  and  even  to  grant  them  en  franc  allien,  without  reserving  the 
rights  of  justice  or  lordship.  It  was  also  provided,  that  if,  after  the  expi- 
ration of  the  twenty-five  years  for  which  the  exclusive  privilege  of  com- 
merce was  granted,  the  king  should  not  see  proper  to  continue  the 
privilege  by  a  new  grant,  all  the  lands  and  islands,  mines,  and  mining 
grounds,  which  the  Company  of  the  West  should  have  inhabited,  worked, 
improved,  or  disposed  of  on  rent,  or  any  valuable  consideration  whatever, 
should  remain  to  it  for  ever  in  fee  simple,  to  use  and  dispose  of  as  a  pro- 
per inheritance,  on  the  simple  condition  that  the  company  should  never 
sell  such  lands  to  any  other  than  the  subjects  of  France. 

A  company  incorporated  with  such  ample  rights  and  privileges,  did  not 
fail  to  draw  upon  it  the  attention  of  the  speculative,  or  to  enlist  the  aid 
of  the  enterprising  capitalists  of  the  French  metropolis.  The  country 
of  the  Illinois  was  reputed  rich  beyond  comparison  :  the  financial  esti- 
mates submitted  to  the  view  of  the  public,  offered  prospects  of  unusual 
gain,  and  capitalists  flocked  with  avidity  from  all  quarters  to  enrol  them- 
selves as  members  of  the  company,  and  partake  of  the  promised  wealth. 
If  anything  had  been  wanting  to  accelerate  the  pace  of  adventurers,  or 
to  fan  the  ardor  of  hope,  it  was  the  genius,  the  financial  abilities,  and  the 
commanding  influence  of  M.  Law,  who  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
company,  and  was  the  moving  power  in  every  transaction.  Hence,  it  is 
no  subject  for  surprise  that  the  most  extravagant  anticipations  were 
entertained  by  the  members  of  the  Company  of  the  West,  or  that  the 
unusual  splendor  of  the  Mississippi  scheme  was  only  equalled  by  the 
signal  disappointment  in  which  it  eventuated. 

In  the  year  after  the  Company  of  the  West  had  been  instituted  by  the 
royal  patent  of  the  king,  they  formed  an  establishment  in  the  country  of 
the  Illinois,  at  fort  Chartres  ;  and  in  order  to  promote  the  objects  of  their 
institution,  and  to  encourage  the  settlement  of  the  country,  held  out  the 
most  liberal  inducements  to  French  emigrants,  and  made  them  donations 
of  all  lands  which  they  should  cultivate  or  improve.  Miners  and  mecha- 
nics were  also  encouraged  to  emigate;  and  the  city  of  New  Orleans, 
which  had  been  founded  during  the  last  year  of  the  authority  of  Crozat 
(1717),  received  a  considerable  accession  to  its  population  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year,  and  settlements  began  to  extend  along  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois. 

Among  the  number  of  adventurers  to  Illinois,  was  Philip  Francis 
Renault,  (the  son  of  Philip  Renault,  a  noted  iron-founder  at  Consobre, 
near  to  Mauberge,  in  France,)  who  came  over  as  the  agent  of  the  Com- 
pany of  St.  Philips,  an  association  of  individuals  which  had  been  formed 
under  the  patronage  of  the  western  company,  for  prosecuting  the  mining 
business  in  the  upper  country  of  Louisiana  and  Illinois.     It  appears  also 


156  APPENDIX. 

that  he  was  a  memher  of  the  Company  of  the  "West,  and  he  is  spoken  of 
as  "  Director-General  of  the  mines  of  the  Royal  Company  in  Illinois ;"  a 
name  by  which  not  only  the  present  State  of  Illinois,  but  a  vast  district 
of  the  adjoining  country,  appears  then  to  have  been  known. 

Renault  left  France  in  the  year  1719,  with  two  hundred  artificers  and 
miners,  provided  with  tools,  and  whatever  else  was  necessary  for  carrying 
the  objects  of  the  company  into  effect.  In  his  passage  he  touched  at  the 
island  of  St.  Domingo,  and  purchased  five  hundred  slaves  for  working  the 
mines  ;  and,  entering  the  Mississippi,  pursued  his  voyage  up  that  river  to 
New  Orleans,  which  he  reached  some  time  in  the  year  1720,  and  soon 
afterwards  proceeded  on  his  way  to  Kaskaskia,  in  Illinois.  Kaskaskia 
was  then  inhabited  solely  by  the  French,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  posts 
occupied  by  them  when  they  began  to  extend  themselves  from  Canada, 
along  the  great  western  lakes,  and  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.  Renault 
established  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  this  town,  near  fort  Chartres,  at  a 
spot  which  he  named  St.  Phillips,  (now  called  the  Little  Village,)  and 
from  this  sent  out  his  mining  and  exploring  parties  into  various  sections 
of  Illinois  and  Louisiana.  These  parties  were  either  headed  by  himself, 
or  by  M.  La  Motte  ;  an  agent  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  minerals,  whom 
he  had  brought  over  with  him.  In  one  of  the  earliest  of  these  excursions 
La  Motte  discovered  the  lead-mines  on  the  St.  Francis,  which  bear  his 
name  ;  and,  at  a  subsequent  period,  Renault  made  the  discovery  of  those 
extensive  mines  north  of  Potosi,  which  continue  to  be  called  after  him. 
Other  mines  of  lead  were  also  found,  but  their  distinctive  appellations 
have  not  survived  ;  and  a  proof  of  the  diligence  with  which  Renault  pro- 
secuted the  object,  is  furnished  by  the  number  and  extent  of  the  old  dig- 
gings which  are  yet  found  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  These  dig- 
gings are  scattered  over  the  whole  mine  country ;  and  hardly  a  season 
passes,  in  which  some  antique  works,  overgrown  with  brush  and  trees, 
are  not  found. 

Renault,  being  probably  disappointed  in  the  high  expectations  he  had 
formed  of  finding  gold  and  silver,  turned  his  whole  force  towards  the 
smelting  of  lead ;  and  there  is  reason  to  conclude  that  very  great  quan- 
tities were  njade.  It  was  conveyed  from  the  interior  on  pack-horses  (the 
only  mode  of  transportation  which  was  practicable  at  that  early  period). 
The  lead  made  by  Renault  was  sent  to  New  Orleans,  and  thence  chiefly 
shipped  for  France.  That  he  also  discovered  copper,  is  probable,  as  a 
grant  of  land  made  to  him  at  Old  Peora,  on  the  Illinois  river,  embraces  a 
copper-mine. 

Renault's  operations  were,  however,  retarded  and  checked,  from  a 
quarter  where  it  was  least  expected.  By  an  edict  of  the  king,  made  at 
Paris,  in  May,  1719,  the  Company  of  the  West  was  united  to  the  East 
India  and  Chinese  Company,  under  the  title  of  the  Company  Royal  of  the 
Indies  (La  Compagnie  Royale  des  Indies).  And  in  1731,  the  whole  terri- 
tory was  retroceded  to  the  crown  of  France,  the  objects  of  the  company 


1 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   MINES.  157 

having  totally  failed  ;  and  Kenault  was  left  in  America,  without  the  means 
of  prosecuting  the  shining  business.  His  exertions  in  behalf  of  the  com- 
pany were  not,  however,  overlooked  by  the  government,  and  four  several 
grants  of  land  were  made  to  him  in  consideration  of  his  services.  These 
grants  bear  date  June  14th,  A.  D.  1723,  and  cover  the  Mine  La  Motte, 
and  some  other  very  valuable  tracts,  which,  after  having  laid  dormant  for 
a  period  of  about  sixty  years,  have  recently  been  claimed  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  his  heirs-at-law. 

Renault,  however,  remained  in  Illinois  several  years  after  the  explosion 
of  the  Mississippi  scheme,  and  did  not  return  to  his  native  country  until 
1742.  With  him  the  greater  part  of  his  workmen  returned  ;  the  slaves 
were  sold,  and  the  mining  business  fell  into  neglect.  Here  is  a  period  to 
the  first  attempt  at  mining  in  Louisiana.  The  country  was  ceded  to  Spain 
in  1762,  and  taken  possession  of  in  1769. 

After  Renault's  departure,  little  or  nothing  appears  to  have  been  done 
in  the  way  of  mining;  and,  even  after  the  Spanish  had  taken  possession 
of  the  country,  the  lead-mines  were  but  little  attended  to.  The  force 
which  Renault  had  with  him  was  sufficient  to  protect  him  from  the  attacks 
of  the  savages ;  but,  after  his  departure,  the  settlements  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, feeble  in  themselves,  could  not  furnish  protection  to  such  as  might 
be  disposed  to  work  at  the  mines.  The  Spanish,  however,  in  a  few  years 
after  taking  possession  of  the  country,  did  something ;  and  in  process  of 
time  new  discoveries  were  made,  and  the  mining  business  began  to  assume 
a  more  respectable  character.  The  principal  discovery  made  under  the 
Spanish  authority  was  that  of  Mine  a  Burton,  which  takes  its  name  from 
a  person  of  the  name  of  Burton,  or  Le  Breton,*  who,  being  out  on  a  hunt 

*  The  following  sketch  of  the  life  of  Burton  is  given  by  Colonel  Thomas  H. 
Benton,  of  St.  Louis,  in  the  Enquirer  of  that  city,  October  16,  1818:  —  "He  is  a 
Frenchman,  from  the  north  of  France.  In  the  fore-part  of  the  last  century,  he 
served  in  the  Low  Countries,  under  the  orders  of  Marshal  Saxe.  He  was  at  Fonte- 
noy  when  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  beat  there  by  that  Marshal.  He  was  at 
the  siege  of  Bergen-op-Zoom,  and  assisted  in  the  assault  of  that  place  when  it  was 
assailed  by  a  division  of  Marshal  Saxe's  army,  under  the  command  of  Count  Lowen- 
dahl.  He  has  also  seen  service  upon  this  continent.  He  was  at  the  building  of  fort 
Chartres,  on  the  American  bottom;  afterwards  went  to  fort  Du  Quesne  (now  Pitts- 
burgh), and  was  present  at  Braddock's  defeat.  From  the  life  of  a  soldier,  Burton 
passed  to  that  of  a  hunter;  and  in  this  character,  about  half  a  century  ago,  while 
pursuing  a  bear  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  he  discovered  the  rich  lead-mines 
which  have  borne  his  name  ever  since.  His  present  age  cannot  be  ascertained.  He 
was  certainly  an  old  soldier  at  fort  Chartres,  when  some  of  the  people  of  the  pre- 
sent day  wer-  little  children  at  that  place.  The  most  moderate  computation  will 
make  him  a  hundred  and  six.  He  now  lives  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Micbeaux,  at  the 
little  rock  ferry,  three  miles  above  St.  Genevieve,  and  walks  to  that  village  almost 
every  Sunday  to  attend  mass.  He  is  what  we  call  a  square-built  man,  of  five  feet 
eight  inches  high,  full  chest  and  forehead;  his  sense  of  seeing  and  hearing  some- 
what impaired,  but  free  from  disease,  and  apparently  able  to  hold  out  against  time 
for  many  years  to  come." 

14 


158  APPENDIX. 

in  that  quarter,  found  the  ore  lying  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  This 
man,  who  is  still  living  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Genevieve,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  one  hundred  and  nine  years,  had  been  employed  while  a  youth 
under  Renault  The  period  of  this  discovery  it  would  be  very  difficult 
now  to  ascertain,  Burton  himself  being  unable  to  fix  it.  It  has  probably 
been  known  about  forty  years. 

The  processes  of  mining  pursued  under  the  Spanish  government  appear 
to  have  been  very  rude  and  imperfect,  not  more  than  fifty  per  cent,  of 
lead  being  got  from  the  ore.  The  common  open  log  furnace  was  the  only 
one  employed,  and  the  lead-ashes  were  thrown  by  as  useless. 

In  1797,  Moses  Austin,  Esq.,  pei-formed  a  journey  from  the  lead-mines 
in  Wythe  county,  Virginia,  to  the  Mine  a  Burton,  in  Louisiana,  and 
obtained  a  grant  of  land  one  league  square,  from  the  Spanish  authorities, 
in  consideration  of  erecting  a  reverberatory  furnace,  and  other  works,  for 
prosecuting  the  mining  business  at  those  mines.  This  he  commenced  in 
1798,  pi-evious  to  which  time  no  furnace  for  smelting  the  ashes  of  lead 
had  been  erected.  Mr.  Austin  sunk  the  first  regular  shaft  for  raising  the 
ore,  and  introduced  some  other  improvements  which  were  found  benefi- 
cial. He  also,  in  1799,  erected  a  shot-tower,  in  which  patent  shot  of  an 
approved  quality  were  made.  A  manufactory  of  sheet-lead  was  com- 
pleted during  the  same  year,  and  the  Spanish  arsenals  at  New  Orleans 
and  Havana  drew  a  considerable  part  of  the  supplies  for  their  navy  from 
this  source. 

About  this  time,  a  few  other  American  families  crossed  over  into  Lou 
isiana  Territory,  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines.  These, 
from  their  more  enlightened  and  enterprising  spirit,  were  an  acquisition 
to  the  mining  interest;  and  as  their  earliest  attention  was  directed  to  it, 
the  lead  business  began  to  revive  ;  and  at  the  time  the  Territory  was  taken 
possession  of  by  the  United  States,  the  mines  were  extensively  and  advan- 
tageously worked.*  The  Mine  a  Ilobino,  Mine  a  Martin,  and  many  others, 
were  shortly  afterwards  discovered.  Since  the  year  1804,  the  number  of 
mines  has  been  astonishingly  multiplied;  Shibboleth,  New  piggings, 
Lebaum's,  and  Bryan's  mines,  are  among  the  latest  discoveries  of 
consequence. 

The  lead-mines  did  not  fail  to  attract  the  earliest  attention  of  the 
American  government;  and,  immediately  after  the  occupation  of  the 
Territory,  measures  were  taken  to  ascertain  their  situation,  the  method 

*  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  mines  worked  under  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment, with  their  situation  : 

Mine  La  Motte Head  of  St.  Francis  river. 

Mine  a  Joe On  Flat  river. 

Mine  a  Burton On  a  branch  of  Mineral  Fork. 

Old  Mines do.  do. 

Renault's  Mines On  Mineral  Fork,  or  Fourche  Arno. 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   MINES.  159 

of  working  them,  &c.  Several  laws  have  since  been  enacted  on  the 
subject,  and  a  reservation  made  of  all  discoveries  upon  public  lands. 

The  emigration  to  Louisiana,  which  had  partially  commenced  under 
the  Spanish  government,  took  a  more  decided  character  after  the  cession 
of  the  country  to  the  United  States,  but  has  been  particularly  great  within 
the  last  few  years. 

In  1812,  that  part  of  Louisiana  bordering  on  the  gulf  of  Mexico, 
including  New  Orleans,  and  extending  up  the  Mississippi  to  33°  north 
latitude,  was  erected  into  a  State  under  the  name  of  Louisiana,  and  the 
remainder  formed  into  a  territorial  government  by  the  name  of  Missouri. 
There  is  a  petition  now  before  Congress  (Feb.  1819)  for  the  admission  of 
Missouri  into  the  Union  on  a  footing  with  the  original  States.  By  this 
petition  it  is  contemplated  that  White  river  will  form  the  southern  bound- 
ary ;  and  the  country  between  that  and  the  northern  line  of  Louisiana, 
including  our  claims  on  the  Spanish,  will  be  erected  into  a  territorial 
government,  under  the  name  of  Arkansas.* 

Respecting  the  present  state  of  the  lead-mines,  it  is  only  necessary  here 
to  add,  that  they  are  worked  in  a  more  improved  manner  than  at  any 
former  period  ;  that  they  are  more  extensive  than  when  the  country  came 
into  the  hands  of  the  United  States,  and  of  course  give  employment  to  a 
greater  number  of  miners,  while  every  season  is  adding  to  the  number  of 
mines ;  and  that  the  ores  may  be  considered  of  the  richest  kind.  Every 
day  is  developing  to  us  the  resources  of  this  country  in  minerals,  and 
particularly  in  lead ;  and  we  cannot  resist  the  belief  that,  in  riches  and 
extent,  the  mines  of  Missouri  are  paralleled  by  no  other  mineral  district. 
In  working  the  mines,  in  raising  and  smelting  the  ore,  and  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  different  manufactures  dependent  upon  it,  there  is  much 
to  be  done.  Though  the  processes  now  pursued  are  greatly  superior  to 
those  in  use  under  the  French  and  Spanish  governments,  there  is  still 
ample  room  for  improvement.  The  earth  has  not  yet  been  penetrated 
over  eighty  feet!  We  know  not  what  may  be  found  in  the  lower  strata 
of  the  soil.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  main  bodies  of  ore  have 
not  yet  been  hit  upon ;  that  they  lie  deeper,  and  that  we  have  thus  far 
only  been  engaged  upon  the  spurs  and  detached  masses.  There  is  also 
reason  to  believe  that  bodies  of  the  ores  of  zinc  exist  in  the  district  of  the 
mines,  and  that  copper  will  be  aiforded  by  the  lower  strata  of  earth.  It 
is  found  overlaid  by  lead-ores  in  many  of  the  European  mines ;  and  the 
geognostic  character  of  the  country  leads  us  to  conclude  that  it  may  also 
be  found  here. 

The  want  of  capitalists  in  the  mine  country,  and  of  practical  skill  in 
the  boring,  blasting,  sinking  shafts  and  galleries,  oppose  obstacles  to  tho 


*  A  law  erecting  the  Territory  of  Arkansas  from  the  southern  part  of  Missouri, 
has  since  passed;  but  its  northern  boundary  is  extended  so  as  to  include  all  White 
river  above  the  latitude  of  36°  30'. 


160  APPENDIX. 

successful  progress  of  mining.  There  is  but  one  regular  hearth-furnace 
for  smelting  in  the  whole  district ;  and  that  is  on  the  modern  plan  of 
English  furnaces.  There  are  not  over  four  or  five  regular  shafts  in  about 
forty  mines ;  there  is  not  an  engine,  either  by  horse,  steam,  or  water 
power,  for  removing  water  from  the  mines,  several  of  which  have  been 
\  abandoned  on  this  account,  with  rich  prospects  of  ore  in  view.  In  fine, 
there  is  little  of  that  system  which  characterizes  the  best-conducted  Euro- 
pean mines,  and  which,  by  an  application  of  the  most  recent  discoveries 
in  mechanics,  chemistry,  and  philosophy,  render  them  the  admiration  of 
every  intelligent  visiter.  Should  the  subject  attract  the  attention  of 
mining  capitalists,  the  circumstance  would  form  a  new  era  in  the  history 
of  the  mining  operations  of  this  country.  Something  also  remains  to  be 
done  by  the  government ;  the  existing  laws  are  inadequate  to  the  purposes 
for  which  they  were  enacted.  That  feature  restricting  leases  to  three 
years,  is  injudicious;  the  period  is  so  short,  that  it  deters  those  who  are 
most  able  from  engaging  in  it  at  all.  It  is  desirable  that  such  a  system 
should  be  established  as  would  indicate  the  annual  produce  of  the  mines, 
number  of  hands  employed,  and  such  other  facts  as  are  necessary  in  form- 
ing a  series  of  statistical  tables  on  the  subject.  The  want  of  such  data 
has  hitherto  prevented  us  from  properly  estimating,  the  importance  of  the 
mines  in  a  national  point  of  view.  The  acquisition  of  a  scientic  know- 
ledge of  minerals  should  also  be  facilitated  in  this  quarter.  There  should 
be  a  mineralogical  school  located  in  the  country,  where  students  might  be 
instructed  in  that  useful  science.  In  a  country  so  rich  in  minerals,  and 
whose  wealth  will  always  so  much  depend  upon  a  proper  development  of 
these  resources,  the  knowledge  of  mineralogy  should  be  laid  open  to  every 
one,  and  should  be  within  the  reach  of  such  as  do  not  wish,  or  cannot 
get,  the  other  branches  of  a  liberal  education.  To  obtain  this  knowledge 
now,  a  person  would  be  compelled  to  travel  to  remote  parts  of  the  Union, 
and  to  incur  an  unreasonable  expense.  No  one  who  is  conversant  with 
the  advantages  which  Germany  has  derived  from  such  a  seminary,  will 
deny  the  utility  of  a  similar  one  in  the  United  States. 

Yet,  with  all  the  disadvantages  under  which  the  lead-mines  have  been 
viewed,  there  are  many  who  may  be  surprised  to  find  their  annual  pro- 
ducts, from  the  best  information,  stated  at  three  millions  of  pounds  ;  and 
from  this  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  their  riches  and  extent,  and,  when 
they  come  to  be  properly  and  regularly  worked,  how  greatly  they  will 
contribute  to  the  national  wealth.* 

*  The  following  are  the  principal  historical  epochs  of  Louisiana,  chronologically 
arranged : 

A.  D. 

Discovered  by  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  and  named  Florida 1539 

Visited  by  the  Freneh  from  Canada 1674 

Settlement  made  by  La  Salle 1683 

A  settlement  made  at  Beloxi.... 1699 


SECTION   II. 

TOPOGRAPHICAL   AND   GEOLOGICAL   OUTLINE    OF   THE   MINE 

COUNTRY. 

The  district  of  country  formerly  known  as  the  lead-mines  of  Louisiana, 
extends  from  the  head-waters  of  the  St.  Francis,  in  a  north-west  direction, 
to  the  Maramec,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles,  by  about  forty-five  in  width, 
having  the  Mississippi  on  its  eastern  borers.  It  is  included,  very  nearly, 
between  37°  and  38°  north  latitude,  and  comprises  an  area  of  about  three 
thousand  square  miles.  Most  of  the  mines  are  situated  within  a  circle 
of  this  general  area,  of  which  Potosi  and  Mine  a  Burton  constitute  a 
centre. 

The  rock  formation  of  the  country  appears  to  be  simple  and  uniform. 
At  the  lowest  depths  observed  in  valleys,  there  is  a  crystalline  sandstone, 
which  often  consists  of  transparent  quartzose  grains,  adhering  by  the 
force  of  aggregation.  The  lead-bearing  limestone  reposes  upon  this. 
Both  formations  are  deposited  in  perfectly  horizontal  strata.  Valleys 
which  carry  streams  have  been  worn  down  into  this  formation,  presenting 
this  order  of  arrangement  very  satisfactorily.  A  stratum  of  red,  marly 
clay,  spreads  over  the  limestone.  Above  this,  constituting  the  top  layer, 
or  surface  soil,  rests  a  bed  of  diluvial  materials,  filled  with  broken-down 
fragments  of  rock,  masses  of  radiated  quartz,  and  chips  of  hornstone. 
Vegetable  matter  and  black  sand  form  a  covering  over  such  parts  of  this 
diluvial  deposit  as  constitute  valleys  and  agricultural  plains.  The  Mis- 
sissippi river  lays  open  this  formation  along  its  western  banks,  from  the 
influx  of  the  Missouri  to  Cape  Girardeau. 

Beneath  this  metalliferous  column  lie  the  primitive  rocks.  The  most 
striking  feature  of  this  kind  is  found  in  the  occurrence  of  a  primitive 
formation  at  the  sources  of  the  river  St.  Francis.  My  attention  was 
arrested  by  this  fact,  soon  after  I  began  to  examine  the  mine  country. 
This  formation  consists  of  sienite,  rather  than  granite ;  the  mica  being 

Granted  to  Crozat  by  Louis  XIV.,  14th  September 1712 

New  Orleans  founded  by  the  French  1717 

Retroceded  to  the  crown  by  Crozat " 

Granted  to  the.  Company  of  the  West " 

Retroceded  by  the  Company  of  the  West 1731 

Ceded  by  France  to  Spain 1762 

First  occupied  by  the  Spanish 1769 

Ceded  to  the  United  States 1S03 

Taken  possession  of  by  the  United  States,  20th  December " 

Louisiana  became  a  State,  August 1812 

Missouri  Territory  erected,  4th  June " 

14  *  L  (161) 


162  APPENDIX. 

generally  replaced  or  represented  by  hornblende.  The  feldspar,  which 
constitutes  three-fourths  of  the  mass,  is  of  a  dull  red  hue.  The  rock  in 
connection  is  greenstone  trap,  which  is  sometimes  porphyritic.  I  observed 
small  masses  of  sulphuret  of  iron  in  some  parts  of  this  rock.  The  up- 
heaval of  this  formation  appears  to  have  been  of  the  most  ancient  era 
of  geological  action  ;  for  the  stratified  limestones  and  sandstones,  which 
lie  upon  or  in  juxtaposition  to  these  elevations,  have  not  been  disturbed 
in  their  horizontality.  The  altitude  of  this  primitive  tract  does  not  pro- 
bably exceed  one  thousand  feet  above  the  waters  of  the  St.  Francis  river. 
Vast  blocks  of  the  red  sienite  have  been  detached,  and  scattered  south- 
wardly over  the  secondary  rocks,  apparently  by  the  force  of  some  antique 
deluge,  setting  from  the  north.  The  whole  series  of  formations  may  be 
judged  of  by  the  following  diagram  : 


The  general  aspect  of  the  country  is  sterile,  though  not  mountainous. 
The  lands  lie  rolling,  like  a  body  of  water  in  gentle  agitation.  In  some 
places  they  rise  into  abrupt  cliffs,  where  the  rock  formations  appear. 
Generally,  they  present  the  form  of  diluvial  ridges,  sparingly  covered 
with  forest,  and  bearing  a  growth  of  prairie-grass  and  herbage.  The 
western  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  between  St.  Genevieve  and  Hercula- 
neum,  present  a  mural  front  to  this  district,  in  a  series  of  elevated  per- 
pendicular cliffs  of  compact  limestone.  The  whole  coast  extending  to 
St.  Louis,  appears  to  be  sufficiently  elevated  to  have  served  as  a  former 
barrier  to  waters  covering  the  low  grounds  of  Illinois.  The  strata  exhibit 
ancient  water-marks  of  a  diluvial  character.  They  are  broken  through, 
from  the  west,  by  small  streams  draining  the  mine  country. 

No  indications  of  lead-ore  have  been  found  in  these  cliffs.  The  mines 
are  situated  at  considerable  distances  west  of  them  ;  and  when  the  ob- 
server has  arrived  at  their  localities,  he  finds  the  ore  often  lying  in  the 
unconsolidated  soil.  This  soil  is  a  stiff,  reddish-colored  clay,  filled  with 
fragments  of  cherty  stones,  quartz,  and  small  gravel,  clearly  attesting  its 
diluvial  character.  This  soil  extends  to  the  depth  of  from  ten  to  twenty 
feet,  or  more,  and  is  based  .on  limestone  rock.  It  is  so  firm,  in  some 
places,  as  almost  to  resist  the  pickaxe  ;  in  others,  it  partakes  more  fully 
of  marl,  and  is  readily  penetrated.     The  ore  lies  in  this  marly  clay,  and 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  MINE  COUNTRY.  163 

is  often  accompanied  by  sulphate  of  barytes  and  calcareous  spar.  The 
country  is  particularly  characterized  by  radiated  quartz,  which  is  strewn 
in  detached  pieces  over  the  ground,  and  is  also  found  imbedded  in  the 
soil  at  all  depths.  This  substance  is  here  called  blossom  of  lead,  or  mine' 
ral  blossom.  Pyrites,  and  some  other  ores  of  iron,  are  also  found  in 
detached  masses  upon  the  surface,  and,  very  rarely,  lead-ore. 

Such  is  the  general  character  of  the  mineral  lands,  which  are  covered 
with  a  stunted  growth  of  oaks,  denominated  post-oaks.  Walnut  is  found 
in  some  instances  out  of  the  valleys.  A  ridge  of  yellow  pine  extends  west 
of  the  mines,  between  the  St.  Francis  and  Maramec,  and  is  more  decidedly 
barren  than  the  grounds  covered  with  oak.  All  the  open,  elevated  tracts, 
are  clothed  with  herbage,  which  hides  their  flinty  aspect,  and  gives  the 
country  a  picturesque  appearance.  The  minor  slopes  and  ravines  are 
often  rendered  almost  impassable  by  hazel,  vines,  and  other  bramble, 
which  appear  to  be  indicative  of  a  better,  or  rather  a  deeper  soil.  The 
whole  area  of  upland  soil,  which  rests  as  a  mantle  over  the  rocks,  is  a 
diluvium,  which  must,  we  think,  be  referred  to  an  early  period  of  diluvial 
action. 

The  only  true  alluvium  of  the  mines  appears  to  be  confined  to  the  val- 
leys or  plains,  which  are,  consequently,  the  principal  seats  of  cultivation, 
and  thus  derive  an  additional  value  from  their  contiguity  to  the  barren 
tracts.  This  alluvium  rests  on  the  red  marl-clay,  or  mineral  diluvium  ; 
the  latter  of  which  is  uniformly  found  on  penetrating  it.  Some  of  the 
mines  exist  in,  and  have  been  pursued  beneath,  this  top  alluvion,  across 
the  valleys.  Others  are  seated  beneath  an  arable  soil,  bearing  a  forest. 
Many  of  the  most  barren  and  stony  parts  of  the  elevated  lands  are,  on 
the  contrary,  destitute  of  mines.  The  depth  of  the  mineral  soil  varies 
exceedingly.  It  barely  conceals  the  rock  formations  in  many  of  the  more 
elevated  positions,  and  frequently  does  not  conceal  them.  It  is  deepest 
in  the  plains  and  depressed  grounds,  being  accumulated  much  in  the 
manner  we  should  expect,  on  the  supposition  of  a  general  diluvial 
submersion. 

The  principal  objection  to  a  general  diluvial  action,  involving  the  whole 
Mississippi  valley,  appears  to  arise  from  the  admission  of  the  limestone 
rock's  being  the  true  locality  of  the  ore.  But  we  think  there  are  too 
many  facts  in  support  of  this  opinion,  to  leave  any  reasonable  grounds 
for  questioning  it.  Several  of  the  mines  in  the  mineral  soil  have  been 
traced  down  into  the  rock,  and  have  been  pursued  through  apertures, 
closing  and  expanding  in  the  manner  of  true  veins.  In  the  numerous 
cases  where  the  rock  has  put  a  stop  to  further  mining,  and  it  has  exhi- 
bited no  signs  of  ore,  it  may  be  supposed  that  the  ore  has  been  moved, 
by  diluvial  force,  from  the  original  position  of  the  mine,  and  been  finally 
deposited,  with  the  soil,  upon  unmetalliferous  portions  of  the  rock.  And 
could  we  with  certainty  determine  the  course  of  diluvial  action,  the  prin- 
ciples of  mining  might  be,  in  some  respects,  employed  in  searching  for 


164  APPENDIX. 

the  original  vein.  It  is  evident,  from  the  unscratched  and  unbroken 
surface  of  much  of  the  ore  and  its  spars,  that  it  could  not  have  been 
transported  far ;  while  the  portions  of  it  called  gravel  ore,  which  evince 
its  diluvial  character,  are  manifest  proofs  of  a  change,  more  or  less  exten- 
sive, in  the  general  position  of  the  ore. 

With  respect  to  the  character  of  the  limestone,  we  have  been  perplexed 
with  its  protean  character,  and,  to  avoid  apparent  contradictions,  were 
led,  at  first,  to  adopt  distinctions  of  strata,  which  we  very  soon  saw  were 
untenable.  It  is  evidently  the  American  equivalent  for  the  metalliferous 
limestone  of  England,  and,  as  a  formation,  is  of  the  transition  era.  In  a 
specimen  of  this  rock,  now  before  us,  taken  from  a  fresh  excavation  at 
Potosi,  forty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  thirty-one  feet  below 
the  original  surface  of  the  rock,  the  structure  is  in  part  compact,  and  in 
part  granular ;  the  compact  portions  having  minute  shining  crystalline 
points,  and  the  granular  being  without  any  appearance  of  crystallization, 
but  changing,  in  the  width  of  about  forty  lines,  from  compact  granular 
to  a  dull  arenaceous  structure,  quite  friable  between  the  fingers.  Part  of 
the  mass  is  vesicular,  and  the  vesicles  are  studded  over  with  minute  crys- 
tals of  white  opaque  quartz.  The  two  extremes  of  this  specimen  have  the 
appearance  of  totally  different  formations,  yet  are  both  calcareous.  By 
experiment,  I  found  a  portion  of  the  lower  arenaceous  part  almost  com- 
pletely soluble,  in  the  cold,  in  nitro-sulphuric  acid;  and  the  actual 
residuum  was,  in  part,  owing  to  a  defect  in  trituration. 

Most  of  the  limestone  rock  disclosed  by  excavation  in  the  mines,  is  of 
the  granulated  kind  ;  while  the  structure  of  the  rock  above  the  surface, 
where  the  strata  are  exposed  to  the  weather,  as  in  cliffs  and  hill-sides,  is 
of  the  solid,  glistening,  pseudo-compact  variety.  Both  these  varieties,  as 
shown  in  the  specimen,  are  geologically  identical,  notwithstanding  their 
striking  differences  in  hardness,  structure,  colour,  and  particularly  in 
crystalline  lustre.  This  lustre  is,  however,  as  shown  by  examination  with 
the  magnet,  owing  almost  exclusively  to  minute  facets  of  calcareous 
crystals,  which  render  it  rather  sparry  than  crystalline. 

We  have  examined  large  portions  of  this  rock,  in  all  its  varieties,  for 
organic  remains  ;  but  have  not  succeeded  in  finding  any  well-character- 
ized species,  although  a  further  and  fuller  search  might,  and  probably 
would,  disclose  some  species.  We  observed  a  single  mass  of  the  rock,  an 
imperfectly  columniform  structure,  apparently  organic.  The  rock  is 
rather  vesicular  than  cavernous  in  its  structure.  The  heavy  deposit  of 
diluvium  conceals  the  surface.  But  if  the  appearances  in  the  mine-dig- 
gings are  to  be  received  as  general  indicia,  the  surface  of  the  concealed 
rock  is  extremely  rough  and  irregular,  standing  up,  in  the  mineral  soil, 
in  huge  lumps,  which  renders  the  general  depth  at  which  it  may  be 
reached,  a  question  of  great  uncertainty. 

It  has  been  intimated  that  the  sparry-compact,  and  the  dull  granulated 
varieties  of  the  limestone,  are  often  contiguous ;  and  we  have  seen,  by 


OUTLINE    OF    THE    MINE    COUNTRY.  165 

the  examination  of  a  hard  specimen,  that  they  are  geologically  identical 
as  a  formation.  If  this  compact  variety  from  the  mines  he  compared 
with  the  principal  formation  in  the  precipitous  cliffs  forming  the  western 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  in  front  of  the  mine  tract,  they  will  ho  found 
to  coincide  in  so  many  points,  that  these  two  localities  may  be  deemed 
parts  of  the  same  formation,  and  as  being  identical  in  age.  The  prin- 
cipal differences  consist  in  the  occurrence  of  organic  remains  in  the  strata 
along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi ;  a  discovery  attributable  to  the  more 
full  exposure  of  these  cliffs  to  observation.  There  is  also  an  apparent 
absence  of  the  granulated,  or  sand-lime  variety.  These  two  calcareous 
tracts  are  not,  however,  continuous,  being  separated  by  a  foi-mation  of 
granular  quartz,  or  white  crystalline  sandstone,  which  runs  nearly  pa- 
rallel with  the  Mississippi  for  a  distance,  a  few  miles  west  of  it.  This 
stratum  of  rock,  which  appears  to  be  rather  a  quartzose  sandstone  than  a 
granular  quartz,  reappears  west  of  Potosi,  in  the  barren  area  called  the 
Pinery,  and  is  also  apparent  at  several  localities  between  the  waters  of 
the  Maramoc  and  the  St.  Francis. 

At  a  point  thirty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  about  the  latitude 
of  St.  Genevieve,  the  primitive  formation  reveals  itself  in  a  series  of  moun- 
tain masses  of  granite,  which  cover  a  comparatively  extensive  area.  This 
tract  appears  to  be  the  nucleus  of  the  country,  rising  through  the  great 
secondary  formations  which  intervene  between  the  Alleghany  and  the 
Rocky  mountains.  Its  western  limits  have  not  yet  been  explored ;  but 
it  probably  covers  an  area  of  not  less  than  a  hundred  square  miles.  The 
mines  lie  north  of  it.  This  granite  is  composed  "lmost  exclusively  of 
reddish  feldspar  and  quartz.  The  proportion  of  mica  is  small,  and  this 
mineral  is  often  absent.  It  has  been  employed  as  a  material  for  mill- 
stones.    It  is  connected  with  greenstone,  which  is  sometimes  porphyritic. 

We  have  now  three  formations  of  rock,  as  constituting  the  mine  series; 
and  it  only  remains  to  point  out  their  relative  position  and  extent,  with 
the  best  means  at  our  command.  This  might  seem  to  be  a  very  simple 
process,  and  would  indeed  be  so,  were  it  not  that  the  area  over  which  the 
formations  extend  is  extensive,  and  is  covered  with  deep  formations  of  the 
diluvial  and  alluvial  character,  bearing  a  forest.  The  primitive  is  imme- 
diately succeeded  by  the  two  latter.  Mine  a  La  Motte  is  situated  in  the 
mineral  diluvium,  and  is  distant  about  two  miles  from  the  granite  on 
Blackford's  fork.  The  first  appearance  of  rock,  in  situ,  north  of  this 
point,  is  at  Piock  creek,  a  few  miles  distant,  where  the  granular  quartzose 
sandstone  appears.  There  is  no  further  appearance  of  rock  in  this  direc- 
tion for  many  miles.  The  white  crystalline  sand-caves  of  St.  Genevieve 
are  seated  in  this  formation.  It  is  again  disclosed  on  the  Platten  creek, 
and  in  the  elevations  west  of  the  Joachim  creek,  called  Fort  Rock,  and 
in  the  white  sand-caves  near  Herculaneum.  Whether  it  is  continued 
farther  in  the  approach  to  the  Maramec,  cannot  be  stated ;  but  the  line 
of  country  which  is  thus  traversed  by  it,  is  probably  sixty  miles.     The 


166  APPENDIX. 

only  point  where  this  rock  appears  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  is  in 
the  range  of  the  Cornice  Rocks. 

Proceeding  west  across  this  formation,  the  mineral  diluvium  succeeds, 
and  conceals  the  rock  formations ;  but,  -wherever  they  are  disclosed  by 
the  action  of  the  streams,  and  by  excavations,  the  metalliferous  limestone 
appears,  which  constitutes  the  lowest  stratum  yet  found  in  the  mine 
region  proper.  But  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  no  excavations  of  any  con- 
siderable depth  have  been  made ;  the  rock  has  not  been  penetrated  to 
any  great  depth.  The  principal  seat  of  the  mines  consists  of  the 
area  included  within  the  circuits  of  the  Grand  river  and  Mineral  Fork, 
constituting  the  main  tributaries  of  the  Maramec.  These  streams  extend 
something  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe  around  the  mines.  Immediately 
west  and  south-west  of  this  area,  the  white  sandstone  reappears,  extend- 
ing south  towards  the  granite.  The  position  of  the  two  formations  may 
be  represented  by  a  pair  of  expanded  dividers,  opening  northward ;  the 
two  shanks  of  which  denote  the  sandstone  ridges,  and  the  head,  or  rivet, 
the  primitive. 

The  most  valuable  mineral  products  of  the  mines,  in  addition  to  lead, 
are  iron  and  salt;  the  latter  of  which  is  made,  in  limited  quantities,  at  a 
saline  spring  at  Madansburgh,  in  the  county  of  St.  Genevieve.  Other 
indications  of  it  exist  at  one  or  two  localities  in  the  township  of  Bellcvieu, 
and  on  the  Maramec  river,  where  efforts  were  formerly  made  to  manu- 
facture salt. 

Iron-ores  are  found  at  numerous  points  ;  but  no  body  of  the  ores  of  this 
metal  is  known,  comparable,  in  extent  or  value,  to  the  locality  of  Belle- 
vieu,  called  the  Iron  Mountain.  The  ore  exists,  at  this  place,  in  a  very 
massive  form.  It  is  in  the  state  of  a  micaceous  oxide.  It  has  been  tried 
in  a  slag  furnace,  and  smelted  easily,  without  a  flux.  The  iron  obtained 
was  of  a  very  malleable  quality,  and  spread  freely  under  the  hammer. 
This  locality  is  embraced  by  the  waters  of  Cedar  creek,  which,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  seven  miles,  are  stated  to  afford  a  water-power  adequate  for  the 
reduction  and  working  of  the  ore.  About  five  miles  distant,  at  Stout's 
settlement,  occurs  another  body  of  this  ore. 

Zinc  is  found,  in  the  form  of  a  sulphuret,  in  small  quantities,  at  several 
of  the  lead-mines  in  Washington  county.  A  single  mass  of  the  sulphuret 
of  antimony  has  been  discovered  in  the  granitical  district,  which  affords 
also  a  locality  of  coarse  graphite,  and  some  other  minerals,  which  will  be 
noticed  in  the  sequel. 

A  sulphur  spring  exists  a  few  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  Jeffer- 
son county.  The  water  issues,  in  a  copious  stream,  from  an  aperture, 
situated  near  a  cliff  of  the  compact  limestone.  It  is  of  a  bright,  transpa- 
rent quality,  but  indicates,  by  its  taste,  its  sulphureous  impregnation, 
and  deposits  sulphur,  in  a  whitish  pulpy  form,  on  the  pebblestones  and 
fallen  vegetation  of  the  brook  which  issues  from  the  spring. 


OUTLINE    OF   THE   MINE    COUNTRY.  167 

Topographically  considered,  the  mine  country  is  a  hilly  and  uneven 
tract,  having  a  considerable  elevation  above  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi. 
It  is  well  watered,  with  numerous  springs,  brooks,  and  streams,  and,  from 
the  prevalence  of  a  firm  diluvial  soil,  affords  facilities  for  roads.  The 
climate  is  favorable  to  health.  The  manner  in  which  the  smelting  of  the 
ores  is  performed,  being  in  the  open  air,  is  probably  less  injurious  to 
those  engaged  in  it,  than  if  the  furnaces  were  enclosed  with  buildings. 

Some  losses  are  sustained  in  the  death  of  cattle,  which  die  with  a  dis- 
ease called  the  mine  sickness.  Cows  and  horses,  which  are  frequently 
seen  licking  around  old  furnaces,  often  die  without  any  apparent  cause. 
Cats  and  dogs  are  taken  with  violent  fits,  which  never  fail,  in  a  short 
time,  to  terminate  their  lives.  This  is  usually  attributed,  by  the  inhabi- 
tants, to  the  effects  of  sulphur,  driven  off  from  the  ores  in  smelting.  It 
is  more  probable  that  it  arises  from  the  sulphurous  acid  in  its  combina- 
tion with  barytes,  which  may  operate  as  a  poison  to  animals.  The  sick- 
ness is  wholly  confined  to  quadrupeds.* 

The  soil  thrown  out  of  the  pits,  at  the  abandoned  mines,  is  found  to 
produce  some  plants,  and  even  trees,  which  are  not  peculiar  to  the  sur- 
face. Such  are  the  cottonwood  and  the  beech-grape,  species  which  are 
usually  confined  to  the  arenaceous  alluvions  of  valleys.  And  we  think 
their  growth  here  is  not  promoted  by  the  mineral  clay,  which  is  mani- 
festly of  a  fertilizing  property,  when  cast  on  the  surface ;  but  to  the 
disintegration  of  the  sand-lime,  producing  a  soil  favorable  to  such  pro- 
ductions. The  sensitive  brier,  observed  in  the  mine  district,  is  evidently 
not  of  this  class,  as  it  is  found  remote  from  any  mine  excavations. 
» 

*  On  this  passage,  Mr.  Silliman  remarks,  "  that  sulphur  is  not  poisonous  to  men 

or  animals The  carbonate  of  barytes  is  eminently  poisonous ;  but  we  have 

never  heard  that  the  sulphate  is  so.  May  not  the  licking  around  the  furnaces 
expose  the  cattle  to  receive  lead,  in  some  of  its  forms,  minutely  divided  ?  or,  if  it 
be  not  active  in  the  metallic  state,  both  the  oxide  and  the  carbonate,  which  must 
of  course  exist  around  the  furnaces,  would  be  highly  active  and  poisonous.  Is  it 
not  possible,  also,  that  some  of  the  natural  waters  of  the  country  may,  in  conse- 
quence of  saline  or  acid  impregnations,  dissolve  some  of  the  lead,  and  thus  obtain 
saturnine  qualities?  AVe  must  allow,  however,  that  we  are  not  acquainted  with  the 
existence  of  any  natural  water  thus  impregnated." — Jour.  Sci.,  Vol.  III. 


SECTION   III. 

LOCAL    POSITION    OF    THE    SEVERAL    MINES. 

Since  the  first  discovery  of  load  in  this  Territory,  the  number  of  mines 
has  been  much  increased,  and  hardly  a  season  passes  without  some  new 
discovery.  Every  discovery  of  importance  soon  becomes  the  centre  of 
mining  attraction.  As  the  ore  is  found  in  the  diluvial  soil,  it  is  gene- 
rally exhausted  on  reaching  the  solid  rock ;  and  after  penetrating  a  con- 
siderable area  of  the  surface  with  any,  or  but  partial  success,  the  locality 
is  abandoned,  and  a  new  one  sought.  As  the  mines  are  worked  without 
capital,  and  the  ore  is  dispersed  over  a  wide  area,  the  number  of  localities 
is  almost  indefinite.  Upwards  of  forty  principal  sub-districts  are  known, 
most  of  which  are  appropriately  denominated  diggings.  The  earliest 
discovery,  at  Mine  a  Burton,  has  been  one  of  the  most  valuable,  and  still 
continues  to  afford  the  ore.  Mine  a  La  Motte  has  also  proved  an  exten- 
sive deposit,  and  is  still  unexhausted.  New  Diggings,  Shibboleth,  and 
Richwoods,  are  among  the  discoveries  of  later  date,  which  have  yielded 
very  large  quantities  of  ore.  But  the  mode  of  mining  in  the  diluvial  soil 
must  exhaust  it  of  its  mineral  contents,  and  direct  miners,  in  after  years, 
to  the  true  position  of  the  ore,  in  the  calcareous  rock.  So  long  as  the 
search  continues  in  the  soil,  the  business  will  partake  of  the  uncertainty 
which  now  attends  it,  and  which  renders  it  rather  an  object  of  temporary 
enterprise,  than  a  fixed  employment. 

In  the  search  for  ore  in  the  soil,  scarcely  any  uniform  principles 
can  be  certainly  relied  on.  Generally,  rocky  and  barren  localities  are 
avoided,  and  large  and  deep  beds  of  the  red  metalliferous  clay  sought  for. 
The  occurrence  of  crystallized  quartz,  or  spars,  on  the  surface,  is  regarded 
only  as  a  general  indication,  but  cannot  be  depended  on  to  ensure  local 
success.  These  masses  are  found  to  be  distributed  on  and  through  the 
top  soil,  as  other  debris,  being  sometimes  contiguous  to,  and  sometimes 
remote  from,  ore.  But  they  are  never,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  found 
with  the  ore. 

The  method  of  searching  for  and  raising  the  ore,  is  simple.  Having 
fixed  on  a  spot  for  digging,  the  operator  measures  off  about  eight  feet 
square.  A  pickaxe  and  shovel  are  used  for  removing  the  earth.  A  prac- 
tised hand  will  pitch  the  earth  from  a  depth  of  eight  or  ten  feet.  A 
windlass  and  bucket  are  then  placed  over  the  pit,  and  the  excavation  thus 
continued.  Small  detached  masses  of  ore,  or  spars,  are  often  found  in 
the  soil,  in  approaching  a  larger  body.  The  ore  is  the  sulphuret,  or 
galena.  It  has  a  broad,  glittering  grain,  and  is  readily  divisible  into 
cubical  fragments.  It  occurs  in  beds,  or  detached  masses,  which  are  de- 
posited horizontally  in  the  soil.  They  are  often  accompanied  by  the 
sulphate  of  barytes,  or  by  calcareous  spar ;  sometimes  by  blende,  or  iron 

(168) 


: 


POSITION   OF   THE   MINES.  169 

pyrites.  The  ore  is  often  connected  with  the  barytic  spar,  indicating  the 
latter  to  be  a  true  matrix.  The  direction  of  these  beds  of  ore  appears  to 
be  irregular.     Veins  of  ore  are  confined  to  the  rock. 

The  variety  of  ore  called  gravel  ore,  differs  from  the  preceding  chiefly 
by  its  marks  of  attrition,  and  connection  'with  diluvial  pebble-stones.  No 
spars  have  been  noticed  in  these  gravel-beds,  although  it  is  probable  that 
a  careful  search  might  detect  them. 

The  calcareous  spar  is  most  abundant  in  connection  with  rock  diggings. 
It  is  translucent,  or  transparent,  and  often  exhibits  the  property  of  double 
refraction.  The  miners,  who  employ  their  own  conventional  terms,  call 
this  substance  glass  tiff,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  sulphate  of  barytes, 
which  is  denominated  tiff.  Much  of  the  radiated  quartz  of  this  district 
bears  the  marks  of  diluvial  action.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  masses 
of  it,  in  which  the  angles  of  the  crystals  are  quite  defaced.  Veins  of  ore 
in  the  rock  correspond  generally,  in  their  course,  I  think,  with  the  cardi- 
nal points,  in  the  instances  of  their  being  pursued  horizontally.  But 
they  dip  at  various  angles  with  the  plain,  or  sink  perpendicularly  into 
the  rock. 

The  horizontal  position  of  the  ore-beds  in  the  red  clay  soil,  may  be 
regarded  as  an  evidence  of  its  being  a  diluvial  deposit. 

The  metalliferous,  red,  marly  clay,  is,  in  fine,  the  most  interesting  geo- 
logical problem  connected  with  the  mines,  and  is  calculated  to  show  us 
how  little  we  know  of  the  true  eras  of  the  diluvial  deposits.  After  every 
examination  which  we  have  been  able  to  make,  we  are  decidedly  of  the 
opinion  that  this  formation  belongs  to  the  diluvial,  and  not  to  the  alluvial 
era.  It  seems,  indeed,  to  assert  a  claim  to  be  considered,  among  the 
western  strata,  as  immediately  succeeding  the  secondary.  It  lies  directly 
next  to,  and  upon,  the  limestone  rock.  We  have  witnessed  the  progress 
of  an  excavation  on  the  public  square  of  Potosi,  in  which  the  soil  was 
removed  down  to  the  rock,  and  a  clean  area  of  its  surface  was  exposed. 
There  was  no  other  stratum  below  it,  and  between  the  clay  and  rock. 
And  such  we  believe  to  be  its  general  position.  The  radiated  quartz  and 
pebble  drift  is  above  it,  and,  consequently,  constitutes  a  subsequent  de- 
posit. And  hence  it  is  that  the  numerous  fragmentary  masses  of  the 
former,  called  mineral  blossom,  are  no  sure  indications  of  the  subterra- 
neous presence  of  ore.  The  gravel-ore  and  mixed  diluvial  gravel  is  like- 
wise a  newer  deposit,  coinciding  with  the  era  of  the  primitive  and  second- 
ary boulders.  No  large  primitive  boulders,  however,  exist  in  the  mine 
district,  if  we  except  the  angular  fragments  of  granite,  south  of  St. 
Michael,  which  are,  indeed,  just  without  the  lead-yielding  area.  Pebbles 
of  common  quartz,  granite,  and  greenstone,  are  found  in  the  surface  soil, 
and  are  also  to  be  observed,  in  accumulated  masses,  in  the  beds  of  brooks. 
Occasionally  an  orbicular  mass  of  these  rocks,  of  the  size  of  a  melon,  is 
observed.  It  is  evident,  from  these  appearances,  that  no  formations  of 
the  primitive  exist,  towards  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi,  for  a  great 

15 


170 


APPENDIX. 


distance,  as  it  is  from  this  direction  that  diluvial  action  appears  to  have 
been  propagated.  This  clay  soil  is  free  from  boulders,  and  is  of  a  homo- 
geneous texture.  It  partakes,  in  its  qualities,  so  largely  of  marl,  as  to 
operate  as  a  manure,  on  being  thrown  out  of  the  pits,  and,  after  a  few- 
years,  is  covered  with  a  very  rank  growth  of  trees,  vines,  &c.  This  is  a 
characteristic  trait  of  the  locality  of  abandoned  diggings. 

The  following  is  a  catalogue  of  the  mines.  It  comprises  those  of  most 
note,  which  are  now  worked,  or  have  been  at  some  former  period. 

Moreau's  Diggings. 
Tapley's  Diggings. 
Lambert's  Diggings. 
Old  Mines. 
Mine  Shibboleth. 
Elliot's  Mines. 
Belle  Fountaine. 
Cannon's  Mines. 
Little  Diggings. 
Beequet's  Diggings.    . 
Mine  Liberty. 
Renault's  Mines. 
Miller's  Mine. 
Mine  Silvers. 
Fourche  a  Courtois. 
Pratt's  Mine,  Big  river. 
Lebaum's  Mine,  Richwoods. 
Mine  a  Joe,  Flat  river. 
Bryan's  Mines,  Hazel  run. 
Dogget's  Mine,         do. 
Mine  La  Motte,  St.  Michael. 
Gray's  Mine,  Big  river. 
M'Kane's  Mine,  Dry  creek. 

The  most  noted  mines  are  Mine  a  Burton,  New  Diggings,  Shibboleth, 
Richwoods,  Old  Mines,  and  the  numerous  mines  on  the  waters  of  the 
Mineral  Fork  of  Grand  river.  Mine  a  La  Motte,  Mine  a  Joe,  and  Bryan's 
Mines,  are  east  and  south  of  the  principal  group  of  mines  in  Washington 
county,  and  at  a  considerable  distance  from  them.  A  few  general  remarks 
may  be  applied  to  all  these  mines. 

The  mines  possess  one  general  character,  although  there  are  some 
peculiarities  which  I  shall  hereafter  mention.  The  ore  is  found  in  de- 
tached pieces  and  solid  masses,  in  beds,  in  red  clay,  accompanied  by 
sulphate  of  barytes,  calcareous  spar,  blende,  iron  pyrites,  and  quartz. 
The  ore  is  of  that  kind  called,  by  mineralogists,  lead-glance,  or  galena, 
and  is  the  sulphuret  of  lead,  of  chemistry.  As  it  is  dug  up  or  quarried 
from  the  adhering  spar,  it  presents  a  very  rich  appearance.     It  has  a 


1. 

Mine  a  Burton. 

23. 

2. 

Mine  a  Robino. 

24. 

3. 

Mine  a  Martin. 

25. 

4. 

New  Diggings. 

26. 

5. 

Citadel  Diggings. 

27. 

6. 

Perry's  Diggings. 

28. 

. 

Hawkins's  Mine. 

29. 

8. 

Rosebury's  Mine. 

30. 

9. 

Austin's  Shaft. 

31. 

10. 

Jones's  Shaft. 

32. 

11. 

Rocky  Diggings,   (Prairie   de 

33. 

Roche). 

34. 

12. 

Gravelly  Diggings. 

35. 

13. 

Brushy-run  Diggings. 

36. 

14. 

Stricklin's  Diggings. 

37. 

15. 

Bibb's  Diggings. 

38. 

16. 

Tebault's  Diggings,  (Pinery). 

39. 

17. 

Mine  Astraddle. 

40. 

18. 

Masson's  Diggings,  or  Partney's. 

41. 

19. 

J.  Scott's  Diggings. 

42. 

20. 

T.  Scott's  Diggings. 

43. 

21. 

Micheaux's  Diggings. 

44. 

22. 

Henry's  Diggings. 

45. 

POSITION   OF   THE    MINES.  171 

broad,  glittering  grain,  of  a  lead-gray  colour,  which  passes  into  a  bluish 
shade.  The  ore  is  easily  broken  by  the  blow  of  a  hammer,  and  may  be 
pounded  to  a  fine  powder,  still  preserving  its  glittering  appearance.  In 
breaking  it,  it  always  separates  in  cubes.  Sometimes  detached  lumps  of 
four  or  five  pounds  weight,  of  a  cubical  form,  are  found  imbedded  in  the 
clay.  Its  primitive  figure  of  crystallization  is  particularly  observable 
after  the  ore  has  been  desulphurated  by  heat,  which,  at  the  same  time, 
increases  its  splendor,  and  renders  the  lines  of  intersection  between  the 
facets  more  plainly  discoverable. 

The  clay,  or  red  earth,  in  which  the  ore  is  found,  appears  to  partake 
largely  of  marl ;  and  a  difference  of  quality  is  to  be  observed  at  the  dif- 
ferent mines.  It  all,  however,  operates  more  or  less  as  a  stimulant  to 
vegetation,  on  being  thrown  out  of  the  pits.  Mixed  with  the  clay  are 
innumerable  pieces  of  radiated  quartz,  very  beautiful  in  appearance. 
This  forms  the  first  stratum,  and  is  about  fourteen  inches  in  depth ;  then 
succeeds  a  stratum  of  red  clay,  four  or  five  feet  thick,  and  sparingly 
mixed  with  substances  of  the  same  kind ;  after  this,  a  layer  of  gravel 
and  rounded  pebbles,  of  a  silicious  character,  ensues ;  these  are  about  a 
foot  in  depth,  and  lead-ore,  in  small  detached  lumps,  is  then  found.  This 
is  of  the  description  called  gravel-ore,  and  no  spars  are  found  accompa- 
nying it.  The  greatest  proportion  of  lead-ore  is,  however,  found  imbed- 
ded in  marly  clay,  accompanied  by  the  sulphate  of  barytes,  and  resting 
on  limestone  rock.  The  rock  is  struck  at  a  depth  of  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  feet,  and  is  a  metalliferous  limestone,  of  a  semi-crystalline  struc- 
ture, lying  in  horizontal  beds.  It  is  traversed  by  veins  of  lead-ore. 
Sometimes  these  expand  in  the  shape  of  caves,  where  masses  of  galena 
occur. 

The  most  valuable  substance  accompanying  the  lead-ore,  is  an  ore  of 
zinc,  which  is  found  at  several  of  the  mines.  Another  substance,  found 
with  the  ore  in  considerable  quantities,  is  the  sulphate  of  barytes.  This 
is  sometimes  in  immediate  connection  with  the  ore,  but  more  frequently 
in  contiguous  masses,  in  the  clay. 

The  sulphate  of  barytes,  called  tiff'hy  the  lead-diggers  here,  is  the  same 
substance  called  caick  by  English  miners.  It  is  very  white,  opaque,  and 
very  heavy,  and  may  be  considered  as  the  proper  matrix  of  the  lead-ore. 

There  are  also  found  considerable  quantities  of  calcareous  spar,  parti- 
cularly in  the  caves  and  veins  in  rock.  This  substance  is  often  observed 
in  large  orbicular  or  irregular  masses,  which  have  the  appearance  of 
external  attrition.  On  breaking  them,  they  fall  into  rhombs,  which  are 
very  transparent  and  glittering;  in  color,  they  are  either  white,  or  honey- 
yellow. 

Pyrites  are  common  at  the  mines,  sometimes  crystallized  in  regular 
cubes  of  a  beautiful  brass-yellow  color,  and,  at  others,  found  in  tabular 
masses,  or  mixed  with  blende,  sulphate  of  barytes,  or  calcareous  spar. 
Quartz  is  found  throughout  the  whole  mine  district,  both  on  the  surface 


172  APPENDIX. 

of  the  ground,  and  at  all  depths  below.  It  is  generally  in  the  form  of 
tabular  pieces,  whose  surfaces  are  thickly  studded  over  with  small  pyra- 
mids of  transparent  rock-crystal,  and  present  an  appearance  of  the  ut- 
most beauty  and  splendor,  looking  like  so  many  diamonds  set  over  the 
surface  of  white  stone.  These  crystals  are  frequently  grouped  in  the 
form  of  a  hemisphere,  circular,  or  oviform,  solitary  or  in  clusters,  forming 
the  different  varieties  of  mamillary  and  radiated  quartz,  and,  when  met 
with  in  their  pristine  beauty,  present  a  very  rich  and  brilliant  appear- 
ance. It  has  acquired  the  popular  name  of  blossom  of  lead,  or  mineral 
blossom,  a  term  perfectly  significant  of  its  supposed  affinity. 

The  exterior  stratum  of  red  clay,  with  its  ores  and  minerals,  will  be 
best  understood  by  comparing  it  to  a  garment  thrown  over  the  rock- 
formations  of  the  country.  The  search  for  ore  has  been  generally  con- 
fined to  these  clay  diggings,  which  are  pursued,  very  much,  with  the 
apparatus  of  common  well-digging.  If,  on  reaching  the  rock,  no  vein  of 
ore  is  discovered,  the  work  is  generally  dropped. 

On  viewing  the  district  on  a  large  scale,  this  external  clay  stratum 
appears  to  have  originally  derived  its  mineral  contents  from  veins  in  the 
calcareous,  lead-yielding  rock.  This  metalliferous  rock  has  evidently,  in 
former  ages,  been  scooped  out  by  rivers  and  streams,  forming  valleys  and 
vast  diluvial  plateaux,  where  the  abraded  materials  were  deposited.  The 
original  subterranean  veins  were  concealed  by  these  geological  changes. 

Some  of  the  mines  exhibit  traits  that  may  be  mentioned.  Mine  La 
Motte  is  one  of  the  oldest  mines  in  the  Territory,  having  been  discovered 
in  1720,  by  the  person  whose  name  it  bears.  The  mines  are  very  exten- 
sive, and  a  large  quantity  of  ore  is  annually  raised.  They  are  situated 
within  two  miles  of  St.  Michael,  Madison  county,  and  on  the  head-waters 
of  the  river  St.  Francois.  No  spars  are  found  accompanying  the  ore  ; 
iron  pyrites  is  occasionally  met  with,  and  plumbago  is  found  in  the  vici- 
nity. The  ore,  which  is  less  brilliant,  and  differs  in  other  characters 
from  any  other  in  the  mine  tract,  is  at  the  same  time  more  refractory  ;  in 
some  instances,  the  greatest  difficulties  have  been  experienced  in  the 
smelting.  Hence,  an  idea  has  originated  that  it  is  combined  with  other 
metals ;  but  no  experiments,  I  believe,  have  been  made  to  ascertain  this 
point. 

On  a  visit  to  these  mines,  I  observed  the  inside  of  the  ash-furnace 
beautifully  tinged  with  a  blue  color  of  considerable  intensity.  This  fur- 
nace is  built  of  a  white  sandstone,  which  becomes  vitrified  on  the  surface, 
forming  glass.  We  are  acquainted  with  no  substance  which  will  commu- 
nicate a  blue  color  to  glass  in  fusion  but  cobalt ;  hence,  it  is  not  unrea- 
sonable to  infer  that  this  metal  is  volatilized  during  the  smelting,  and  is 
tli us  brought  into  contact  with  the  liquefied  surface  of  the  stone,  impart- 
ing to  it  the  color  noticed.  That  the  ores  of  La  Motte  contain  an  unusual 
portion  of  sulphur,  is  very  probable.  I  draw  this  inference  both  from  its 
refractory  nature  and  dull  appearance.     Sulphur  always  renders  an  ore 


POSITION    OF   THE   MINES.  173 

refractory ;  for,  when  it  is  expelled  by  torrefaction,  the  ore  melts  easily. 
Its  dull  aspect  is  not  less  conclusive ;  for,  the  more  an  ore  is  roasted,  and 
the  more  sulphur  there  is  driven  off,  the  brighter  it  grows.  This  is  evi- 
dent to  every  smelter,  who  cannot  fail  to  observe  the  surprising  brilliancy 
the  ore  assumes  after  it  has  gone  through  the  first  operation  in  the  log 
furnace.  That  the  difficulties  daily  experienced  in  smelting  the  La  Motte 
ores  are,  therefore,  attributable  to  the  extraordinary  quantity  of  sulphur 
they  contain,  is  extremely  probable ;  for,  even  if  they  were  united  with 
other  metals,  with  silver  or  with  cobalt,  these  would  not  increase  their 
infusihility,  except  by  the  extra  quantum  of  sulphur  they  brought  with 
them.  At  least,  we  have  no  facts  to  prove  that  a  simple  alloy  does  not 
melt  as  easily  as  a  pure  metal,  while  there  are  many  to  show  that  alloys 
are  of  the  most  easy  fusibility. 

The  quantity  of  ore  raised  at  New  Diggings  has  been  very  great,  a 
regular  vein  having  been  found  ;  but  they  were  abandoned  several  years 
ago  on  account  of  the  water,  which  rushed  in  with  such  rapidity,  that  to 
remove  it  every  morning  with  a  common  windlass  and  bucket  was  found 
a  work  of  such  labor  as  to  render  the  business  unprofitable.  The  mines 
were  left  with  the  most  flattering  veins  of  ore  in  view.  The,general  cha- 
racter of  these  mines  is  such  as  to  justify  the  erection  of  a  steam-engine, 
and  other  works  for  prosecuting  the  business  on  an  extensive  scale ;  and 
their  revival  at  some  future  period  may  be  confidently  looked  for. 

Mine  Renault  is  situated  about  six  miles  north-north-west  of  Mine  a 
Burton,  in  a  very  rocky  part  of  the  country,  which  affords  some  of  the 
most  picturesque  views  of  mountain  scenery.  The  region  is  strongly 
marked  by  mineral  appearances,  rendering  it  probable  that  other  sub- 
stances of  value,  besides  lead,  may  exist  in  that  vicinity.  Ores  of  zinc 
are  abundant  at  this  mine,  and  a  body  of  micaceous  oxide  of  iron  is  found 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Bryan's  Mines  are  seated  on  Hazel  run,  and  are  among  the  most  recent 
discoveries  of  consequence.  Near  a  million  pounds  of  lead  were  made 
here  during  the  first  year  of  the  discovery.  The  mine  is  characterized 
by  yielding  no  heavy  spar;  sometimes  a  little  calcareous  spar  is  found, 
and  then  adhering  to  the  ores  ;  a  circumstance  which  I  have  nowhere  else 
observed.  Much  of  the  ore  of  these  mines  is  found  in  tabular  pieces, 
which  are  sonorous  in  a  considerable  degree;  the  ore  is  brilliant,  and 
smelts  readily,  yielding  the  same  as  at  Mine  a  Burton. 

Gray's  Mine,  situated  on  Big  river,  in  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
mine  tract,  is  remarkable  for  a  body  of  white  clay,  which  was  discovered 
in  searching  for  ore.  In  sinking  several  pits  at  this  mine,  a  stratum  of 
clay  of  an  unusual  appearance  was  struck  at  the  depth  of  from  eight  to 
ten  feet,  and  no  ore  was  procured  at  those  places ;  the  diggings  were 
abandoned  in  consequence  of  the  clay,  which  covers  a  considerable  area 
of  ground  on  the  banks  of  Big  river.  Tnis  mineral  substance  bears  a 
striking  resemblance  to  specimens  of  a  pyrous  crucible  clay. 

15* 


174  APPENDIX. 

Elliott's  Mines  lie  upon  the  Mineral  Fork,  and  are  characterized  by  the 
abundance  of  pyrites,  and  the  beauty  of  the  calcareous  spar  found  there. 
Considerable  quantities  of  blende  were  also  met  with,  and  strong  indica- 
tions of  the  existence  of  copper  are  furnished.  During  the  remarkable 
earthquakes  of  1812,  a  fine  spring  of  water  at  the  mouth  of  the  mines 
suddenly  became  warm  and  foul,  and  in  a  few  days  dried  up  entirely,  and 
no  water  has  run  there  since.  Illuminations  in  the  atmosphere  (arising 
doubtless  from  phosphorus)  are  frequently  observed  in  this  vicinity  on 
the  approach  of  night. 

At  Mine  a  Burton,  there  is  found  adhering  to  the  sides  of  the  log-hearth 
furnace,  a  grayish-white  sublimated  matter,  of  great  weight,  which  I  take 
to  be  a  sublimate  of  lead.  It  is  considered  as  chiefly  sulphur  or  arsenic 
by  the  lead-smelters,  and  is  thrown  by  as  useless.  It  is  found  at  every 
furnace,  and  a  very  large  quantity  could  be  annually  collected.  This 
induced  me  to  undertake  some  experiments  on  the  subject.  I  was  con- 
vinced, on  reflection,  that  there  could  be  no  sulphur,  at  least  no  consider- 
able quantity  of  sulphur,  in  it,  from  the  fact  that  all  sulphur,  or  other 
inflammable  matter,  expelled  from  the  ore  in  the  furnace,  would  undergo 
immediate  combustion.  This  is  also  observable  in  the  color  of  the  flame 
while  the  ore  is  torrified.  Indeed,  every  person"  conversant  with  the 
nature  of  this  substance  must  know  that  it  cannot  be  otherwise.  The 
furnace  is  entirely  open,  and  does  not  rise  over  seven  or  eight  feet  in 
height ;  consequently,  there  is  no  opportunity  for  it  to  condense.  That 
the  sulphuric  acid  is  driven  off,  is  undoubted  ;  for,  whenever  sulphur  is 
burned,  this  acid  is  set  at  liberty ;  but  it  has  no  opportunity  for  entering 
into  a  new  combination  within  the  body  of  a  log  furnace. 

The  idea  of  arsenic  in  the  substance  alluded  to,  is  perfectly  erroneous, 
and  has  originated  in  an  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the  ores  of  these 
mines.  It  is  the  stdphuret  of  lead,  and  not  the  arseniate.  That  there  is 
a  small  portion  of  silver  and  antimony  in  combination  with  the  ore,  is 
probable ;  but  they  too  are  mineralized  by  sulphur.  Reflecting  on  this, 
I  became  convinced  of  the  popular  error,  and,  to  ascertain  the  point, 
made  the  following  experiments  : 

A.  I  took  a  lump  of  the  sublimated  matter,  freed  from  adhering  impu- 
rities, and  reduced  it  to  the  state  of  a  fine  powder  by  pulverizing  in  an 
agate  mortar,  and  trituration.  Of  this  I  mixed  six  parts  with  four  of  pul- 
verized borax,  and  a  little  charcoal,  and  submitted  it  to  the  intense  heat 
of  a  small  chemical  furnace.  On  removing  the  crucible,  I  found  a  button 
of  metallic  lead  in  the  bottom,  weighing  nearly  four. 

B.  Dissolved  a  quantity  of  the  powdered  sublimate  in  nitric  acid ;  it 
effected  a  ready  solution,  with  violent  effervescence.  Poured  on  liquid 
carbonate  of  potash  until  no  more  precipitate  fell.  I  then  collected  the 
precipitate,  and  washed  away  the  superfluous  alkali  by  clear  water,  and 
dried, it  in  the  shade.  The  result  was  a  very  fine,  and  a  very  white  pow- 
der, of  considerable  weight.     This  was  a  carbonate  of  lead  (white  lead). 


POSITION   OF   THE   MINES.  175 

With  a  quantity  of  the  white  lead  thus  made,  I  mixed  linseed  oil,  and 
painted  a  board.  The  color  was  of  the  most  delicate  white,  and  it  gave 
a  good  body.  On  inspecting  this  board  several  months  afterwards,  I 
found  the  color  inclining  a  little  to  yellowish.  But  perhaps  it  stands  as 
well  as  any  white  lead  would,  prepared  from  litharge,  by  solution  in  nitric 
or  acetic  acids,  and  precipitation  by  carbonated  alkali. 

C.  Mixed  eight  parts  of  sublimate  with  twelve  of  muriate  of  soda,  and 
fused  in  a  crucible,  with  a  tight  cover,  in  a  high  heat.  Kesult,  a  yellow, 
hard,  heavy,  vitrified  mass,  resembling  muriate  of  soda  and  lead. 

M'Kain's  Mine  is  situated  on  a  small  stream  called  Dry  creek,  running 
into  Big  river  not  far  from  its  junction  with  the  Maramec.  The  mine  is 
worthy  of  remark  only  on  account  of  a  body  of  steel-grained  lead-ore 
found  there.  This  ore  is  found  to  yield  less  lead  in  smelting  than  the 
common  broad-grained  ore,  and,  as  may  be  inferred  from  its  texture, 
contains  silver. 

So  little  has  been  done,  of  late  years,  in  mining  in  the  rock,  that  the 
character  of  the  veins  must  be  judged  of  from  limited  facts.  But  there 
can  be  no  question,  from  what  is  known,  that  the  true  scene  of  mining 
operations  is  the  rock. 

Along  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  also  in  some  of  the  inte- 
rior valleys,  we  observe  that  the  metal-bearing  limestone  rests  on  crys- 
talline sandstone.  Both  preserve  a  horizontal  position,  and  both  are 
deposited,  at  the  distance  of  about  seventy  miles  south  of  Potosi,  upon 
pre-existing  formations  of  sienitic  granite,  embracing  hornblende  rock ; 
some  of  the  latter  of  which  is  porphyritic. 

These  primitive  formations  mark  the  geography  of  the  country  at  the 
sources  of  the  St.  Francis.  They  form  alpine  peaks,  through  which  the 
river  forces  its  way.  Mine  a  La  Motte  is  within  two  miles  east  of  this 
tract.  These  peaks  have  been  raised  to  their  present  position  without 
disturbing  the  horizontality  of  the  limestones  and  sandstones.  Hence 
the  conclusion  of  their  prior  elevation. 

At  a  still  further  southern  point,  and  before  reaching  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Francis  at  Bettis's  ferry,  the  horizontal  rocks  again  appear.  But,  in 
this  instance,  sienitic  and  granitic  boulders  are  scattered  over  the  south- 
ern series  of  the  calcareous  strata,  showing,  with  equal  clearness,  that 
the  geological  era  of  the  boulder  stratum  was  posterior  to  the  deposition 
of  the  horizontal  strata,  and  that  the  force  which  scattered  the  boulder 
stratum  was  from  the  north. 


SECTION  IV. 
METHOD   OP   WORKING   THE    MINES. 

The  method  of  raising  the  ores,  and  the  processes  pursued  in  separating 
the  metal,  are,  upon  the  'whole,  extremely  simple.  A  pickaxe  and  shovel 
are  the  only  tools  in  use  for  removing  the  earth  ;  and  the  drill,  rammer, 
and  priming-rod,  are  added  when  it  is  necessary  to  blast.  Having  deter- 
mined on  the  spot  for  digging,  the  process  commences  by  measuring  off 
a  square  of  about  eight  feet,  and  throwing  out  the  earth,  spar,  and  gravel, 
until  the  miner  sinks  beneath  the  depth  he  can  throw  the  earth.  An  expert 
hand  will  pitch  his  earth  clear  out  of  the  pit  from  a  depth  of  ten,  twelve, 
and  even  fifteen  feet.  At  this  depth  a  common  windlass  and  bucket  are 
placed  over  the  centre  of  the  pit,  and  the  digging  continued  by  drawing 
up  the  earth,  spar,  and  ores,  if  any  are  found,  in  the  manner  pursued  in 
sinking  a  wrell.  During  his  progress,  the  miner  is  notified  of  his  approach 
to  a  body  of  ore,  by  small  detached  lumps  occasionally  found  imbedded 
in  the  soil,  within  a  few  feet  of  the  surface.  Sometimes  lumps  on  the 
top  of  the  ground  determine  on  the  place  for  digging.  The  spar  is  also 
a  sign  by  which  he  judges,  as  there  is  seldom  a  body  of  spar  found  with- 
out lead-ore.  There  are  also  other  signs  by  which  an  experienced  digger 
is  advertised  of  his  prospects,  and  encouraged  to  proceed  with  cheerful- 
ness in  his  work.  These  are,  peculiar  appearances  in  the  texture  of  the 
spar,  and  sometimes  minute  specks  of  ore  scattered  through  it,  the 
changes  in  the  color,  and  other  qualities  of  the  earth,  gravel,  &c.  If 
these  appearances  are  promising,  and  bits  of  ore  are  occasionally  met 
with,  he  is  encouraged  to  sink  down  a  great  depth  ;  but  if  they  should 
fail,  he  is  generally  induced  to  abandon  the  pit,  and  commence  at  another 
place. 

In  searching  for  ore,  the  soil,  the  slope  of  the  hills,  spar,  blossom,  trees, 
&c,  are  taken  as  guides,  and  some  are  obstinately  attached  to  these  signs. 
Others,  who  have  been  fortunate  in  finding  ore  where  these  appearances 
were  least  promising,  wholly  disregard  them,  and  pay  no  attention  to 
rules.  In  general,  there  is  a  greater  disposition  to  trust  to  luck  and 
chance,  and  stumble  upon  ore,  than  by  attending  to  mineral  character,  to 
be  sure  of  success.  As  those  who  search  by  rules  are  generally  incapable 
of  those  minute  remarks  on  the  distinguishing  character  and  geological 
situation  of  minerals,  which  are  necessary  in  order  to  ensure  success,  it 
frequently  happens  that  they  meet  with  disappointments.  An  incident 
of  this  kind  is  enough  to  perplex  a  man  who  has  not  habituated  himself 
to  reasoning  on  the  subject,  and  to  weaken  his  belief  in  the  affinity  of 
ores  and  stones.  Such  a  man  will  not  stop  to  compare  and  reconcile 
facts,  which  are  seemingly  opposite,  or  to  investigate  the  nature  of  general 

principles. 

(170) 


METHOD   OF   WORKING   THE   MINES.  177 

Hence  miners  exclaim  on  the  uncertainty  of  finding  ores  by  rules 
drawn  from  the  observations  of  science  ;  that  the  strata  of  the  earth  are 
irregular,  and  not  to  be  depended  upon  like  the  rock  formations  in 
Europe  ;  and  that,  in  fine,  we  have  no  guides  by  which  its  mineral  trea- 
sures are  to  be  sought,  and  that,  in  so  confused  a  soil,  chance  is  the  best 
guide.  Such  a  man  is  more  ready  to  follow  the  mysterious  guidance  of 
the  divining-rod  than  the  light  of  reason,  and  would  be  easily  persuaded 
that  fortune  is  more  surely  the  result  of  blind  chance,  than  of  feasible 
schemes,  well  planned  and  well  executed. 

There  would  be,  nevertheless,  some  truth  in  the  uncertainties  and  the 
confusion  complained  of,  were  those  circumstances  among  the  observa- 
tions of  scientific  men.  But  it  will  be  hazarding  little  to  say,  that  when 
such  observations  are  made,  there  will  be  found  as  much  regularity,  har- 
mony, and  order,  in  the  superposition  of  the  strata,  as  generally  exist. 
The  few  facts  I  have  noticed,  lead  to  this  conclusion. 

Having  raised  a  sufficient  quantity  of  ore  for  smelting,  the  next  pro- 
cess consists  in  separating  the  spar,  and  cleaning  the  ore  from  all  extra- 
neous matter.  This  is  done  by  small  picks,  tapered  down  to  such  a  point 
that  a  careful  hand  may  detach  the  smallest  particle  of  adhering  spar. 
It  is  necessary  that  the  ore  should  be  well  cleaned,  as  it  would  otherwise 
prove  refractory  in  smelting.  If  there  be  any  lumps  of  uncommon  size, 
they  are  beaten  smaller.  The  object  is  to  bring  the  lumps  as  near  as  may 
be  to  an  uniform  size,  so  that  the  heat  may  operate  equally  in  desulphur- 
ating  the  ore.  It  is  desirable  that  the  lumps  should  be  about  the  size 
of  a  man's  two  fists,  or  perhaps  fifteen  pounds'  weight ;  if  too  small,  a 
difficulty  and  a  waste  is  experienced  in  smelting.  In  this  state,  the  ore 
is  conveyed  to  the  primary  furnace,  (see  Plate  I.)  and  piled  on  the  logs 
prepared  for  its  reception.  When  the  charge  is  put  in,  which  may  in  a 
common  way  be  about  five  thousand  pounds,  it  is  surrounded  by  logs  of 
wood,  and  covered  over  at  the  top,  the  fire  being  lit  up  at  the  mouth 
below.  A  gentle  warmth  is  created  at  first,  which  is  raised  very  gradu- 
ally, and  kept  at  this  point  for  about  twelve  hours,  to  allow  the  sulphur 
to  dissipate ;  the  heat  is  then  increased  for  the  purpose  of  smelting  the 
ore,  and,  in  twelve  hours  more,  the  operation  is  completed,  and  the  lead 
obtained.  Wood  is  occasionally  added  as  the  process  goes  on,  and  there 
is  a  practical  nicety  required  in  keeping  the  furnace  in  proper  order, 
regulating  the  draught  of  air,  &c,  so  that  some  smelters  are  much  more 
expert,  and  thereby  extract  a  greater  quantity  of  lead  from  a  like  body 
of  ore,  than  others.  This  furnace  is  called  the  log  furnace,  and,  so  far 
as  I  know,  is  peculiar  to  this  country.  It  is  of  a  very  simple  construc- 
tion, consisting  of  an  inclined  hearth,  surrounded  by  walls  on  three  sides, 
open  at  top,  and  with  an  arch  for  the  admission  of  air  below.  Upon  the 
whole,  it  appears  well  adapted  to  the  present  situation  and  circumstances 
of  the  people.  It  is  cheap,  simple,  may  be  built  at  almost  any  place,  and 
answers  the  purpose  very  well.     A  good  furnace  of  this  kind  may  be 

M 


178  APPENDIX. 

built  at  a  cost  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  dollars,  every  expense  considered ; 
and  one  of  the  most  considerable  items  in  the  sum  total  is  the  bill  of  the 
mason,  who  cannot  be  hired,  in  this  region,  to  -work  for  less  than  two 
dollars  per  day. 

Plate  I.,  Figure  1.    A  Perspective  View  of  the  Log  Furnace. 

a,  the  front  wall,  8  feet  long,  7  feet  in  height,  and  2  feet  in  thickness. 

b  b,  the  side  walls,  8  feet  long,  and  2  feet  thick. 

c,  the  hearth,  2  feet  wide,  and  8  feet  in  length. 

d  d,  the  ledges  on  each  side  of  the  hearth,  10  inches  in  height,  and  1  foot 
wide.  These  serve  to  elevate  the  logs  above  the  hearth,  at  the  same 
time  creating  a  draught  for  the  air,  and  passage  for  the  lead. 

e,  the  eye  of  the  furnace,  or  arch,  2  feet  across  at  bottom,  with  an  arch 

thrown  in  a  half  circle,  or  a  flat  stone  laid  across  at  the  height  of 
the  ledges. 

f,  the  iron  ladle  for  dipping  out  the  melted  lead. 

g,  the  iron  mould.     Every  bar  of  lead  cast  in  this,  is  called  a.  pig. 

h,  the  hole  in  the  ground,  for  the  reception  of  the  lead  as  it  runs  from 
the  furnace. 

Figure  2,  is  a  perspective  view  of  the  furnace  from  the  back  or  open 
part.  The  same  letters  used  in  Figure  1  apply  to  the  same  parts  of  the 
furnace  in  this  figure. 


Fi; 

gure 

3. 

Ground  Plan. 

a, 

the 

eye 

or  arch 

in  front. 

bb, 

the 

side 

walls. 

c, 

the 

hearth. 

cl  d, 

the 

ledges. 

The  process  of  charging  the  furnace  may  be  mentioned.  Three  large 
oak  logs,  rolled  in  from  the  back  side,  and  resting  at  each  end  on  these 
ledges,  fill  up  the  width  of  the  furnace ;  small  split  logs  are  then  set  up 
all  around  on  the  two  sides  and  front ;  the  ore  is  then  piled  on  until  the 
furnace  is  full,  and  logs  are  then  piled  over  it,  beginning  at  the  back, 
and  continuing  over  to  the  front,  so  that  the  ore  is  completely  surrounded 
by  wood.  This  furnace  is  always  built  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  as  repre- 
sented in  Plate  I.,  Fig.  1 ;  and  the  hearth  is  laid  on  an  angle  of  45°,  so 
that  it  falls  four  feet  in  a  distance  of  eight.  Two  furnaces  of  the  size 
here  described  are  generally  built  together,  by  which  there  is  a  saving 
of  the  expense  of  one  wall,  and  the  work  is  rendered  stronger,  one  serv- 
ing as  a  support  to  the  other.  Not  only  so,  but  the  same  number  of 
hands  will  keep  a  double-eyed  furnace  in  blast,  which  are  required  at  a 
single  one.  It  takes  three  hands,  one  to  cart  wood  during  the  day-time, 
and  the  other  two  to  relieve  each  other  alternately,  every  twelve  hours,  at 
the  furnace.  ■  When  a  charge  is  melted  off,  the  furnace  is  cooled,  new 


Xictj      Hearth      Furnace 


::■:  i 


4P~- 


Fi£l  l„ 


a  . 


"Pig  111. 


';:, 


A.       I 


For  SmeTtinq  7,c<t</    Ore 


.  .     . 


• 


METHOD    OF   WORKING    THE    MINES.  179 

logs  and  upright  pieces  put  in,  and  the  whole  operation  begun  anew. 
Twenty-four  hours  is  the  time  generally  allotted  for  each  smelting,  hut  it 
often  takes  thirty-six  ;  and  when  there  is  bad  wood  and  want  of  attention, 
it  requires  still  longer,  and  indeed  the  result  is  never  so  good. 

The  ore  is  estimated  to  yield,  in  the  large  way,  fifty  per  cent,  the  first 
smelting.  A  considerable  portion  of  what  is  put  in,  however,  does  not 
become  completely  desulphurated,  and  is  found  in  the  bottom  of  the  fur- 
nace after  cooling.  This  is  chiefly  the  smallest  lumps,  which  have  fallen 
through  the  apertures  that  burn  between  the  logs,  before  they  were  tho- 
roughly roasted,  and  thus,  getting  out  of  the  way  of  the  heat,  lie  entan- 
gled with  the  ashes.  Some  lumps,  which  are  too  large,  also  escape 
complete  desulphuration,  and  either  remain  unmelted,  or  else,  when  the 
fire  is  raised,  melt  altogether  into  a  kind  of  slag,  and  produce  little  or  no 
metallic  lead.  This  constitutes  what  are  called  the  lead-ashes.  The 
larger  pieces,  consisting  of  ore  but  partially  desulphurated,  are  carefully 
picked  out  from  among  the  ashes,  and  added  at  the  next  smelting  in  the 
log  furnace ;  while  the  remainder  is  thrown  by  in  heaps  for  further 
examination. 

The  lead-ashes  are  still  rich  in  lead,  and,  when  a  sufficient  quantity 
has  accumulated  from  repeated  smeltings,  it  is  taken  off  to  a  proper  place 
contrived  for  the  purpose,  and  separated  from  the  cinders,  wood-ashes, 
and  other  adhering  impurities.  This  is  done  by  washing  the  whole  in 
buddies,  one  set  below  another,  in  the  manner  of  the  potter,  when  it  is 
necessary  to  search  his  clays.  The  ashes,  which  consist  of  clotted  lumps 
of  a  moderate  hardness,  are  first  pounded  to  a  gross  powder,  and  then 
introduced  into  the  water  through  a  sieve.  The  wood-ashes  and  other 
impurities,  being  lighter,  swim  on  the  top,  and,  by  letting  off  the  water, 
are  thus  carried  away.  Fresh  water  is  added,  the  ashes  briskly  stirred 
with  a  hoe,  and  the  water  again  let  off,  carrying  a  further  portion  of 
impurity  with  it.  By  repeating  this  operation  several  times,  the  lead- 
ashes  are  brought  to  the  required  degree  of  purity.  Thus  washed,  they 
are  carried  to  a  furnace  of  a  different  construction,  called  the  ash  furnace 
(see  Plate  II.),  and  undergo  a  second  smelting. 

Plate  II.,  Figure  1.    A  Perspective  View  of  the  Ash  Furnace. 

a,  the  ash-pit,  2  feet  wide,  6  feet  long,  and  20  inches  in  height. 

b,  the  mouth  of  the  fire-arch,  a  foot  square. 

c,  the  mouth  of  the  flue,  where  the  charge  is  put  in. 

d,  the  iron  pot  for  the  lead  to  flow  in,  when  the  furnace  is  tapped. 

Figure  2,  is  a  longitudinal  section  through  the  furnace,  at  right  angles 
with  the  front,  showing  the  curve  of  the  arch,  flue,  &c. 
a,  the  ash-pit. 
6,  the  grates,  10  inches  square,  and  3  feet  long ;  these  are  pieces  of  hewn 

stone. 
c,  the  mouth  of  the  fire-arch. 


180  APPENDIX. 

d,  the  santee,  consisting  of  two  stones,  3  feet  long,  and  3  feet  6  inches 

■wide,  with  a  thickness  of  6  or  7  inches.  They  reach  from  the  bottom 
of  the  ash-pit  to  a  foot  above  the  basin-stone,  the  interstice  between 
them  being  rammed  full  of  clay,  and  the  whole  measuring  18  inches 
across.  (This  keeps  the  lead,  slag,  &c,  from  running  into  the  fire- 
arch,  and  is  an  important  part  of  the  furnace,  requiring  considerable 
skill  and  accuracy  in  the  construction.) 

e,  the  basin-stone,  4  feet  square,  and  1  foot  thick. 

/,  the  flue,  or  throat,  10  feet  long,  22  inches  wide,  and  11  inches  in 
height.  This  must  be  continued  a  foot  and  a  half  over  the  mouth 
of  the  flue,  or  apron,  making  the  whole  length  eleven  and  a  half 
feet ;  some  prefer  the  flue  twelve  and  a  half  feet. 

g,  the  mouth  of  the  flue  or  apron,  where  the  furnace  is  charged ;  this 
flares  from  22  inches  to  3  feet,  in  a  distance  of  3  feet,  (as  shown  in 

rig.  3.) 

h,  the  fire-arch,  3  feet  high  in  the  centre,  18  inches  high  where  the  arch 
begins  to  spring,  and  the  same  over  the  centre  of  the  basin-stone. 

Figure  3.     Ground  Plan. 

From  a  to  b,  8  feet ;  from  6  to  c,  8  feet  6  inches ;  from  a  to  d,  8  feet  6 
inches  ;  from  e  tof,  6  feet ;  from  e  to  g,  13  feet. 
h,  the  basin,  4  feet  long,  and  22  inches  wide,  except  in  the  centre,  where 

it  is  24  inches  wide. 
i,  the  flue. 
k,  the  mouth  of  the  flue,  or  apron,  3  feet  at  the  front,  and  22  inches  in 

the  rear. 
I,  the  santee. 
m,  the  fire-arch,  with  grates  at  bottom.     (This  is  22  inches  wide  at  each 

end,  24  inches  in  the  centre,  and  5  feet  long  from  the  inside  of  its 

mouth  to  the  santee.) 
n,  the  mouth  of  the  fire-arch. 
o,  the  iron  pot  for  the  lead  to  flow  into,  set  in  the  curve  made  in  the  wall 

for  convenience  of  tapping. 
p,  the  curve  in  the  wall  for  drawing  off  the  slag. 

Figure  4,  is  a  perspective  view  of  the  mouth  of  the  flue  where  the  fur- 
nace is  charged. 

From  a  to  b,  G  feet ;  from  a  to  c,  5  feet ;  from  a  to  d,  1  foot. 

c,  the  mouth  of  the  flue,  22  inches  wide,-  and  11  high.  (This  flares  out 
to  3  feet  in  the  distance  of  3  feet,  the  flue  covering  half  of  it,  so  that  the 
heat  may  be  thrown  down  on  the  ashes. 

One  of  the  principal  points  to  be  attended  to  in  building  an  ash-furnace 
is  the  elevation  of  the  flue.  It  should  rise  5£  feet  in  10 ;  some  prefer  h\ 
in  11.     If  the  ascent  be  too  steep,  the  ore  will  run  down  into  the  basin 


^4_.i7i      Furnace 


X°2. 


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Sd    .V  >?■'•/•■ 


for    *$7nc?tmg    Ttcad  As7ies:JMis$oitri. 


METHOD    OF    WORKING    THE    MINEb.  181 

before  it  gets  hot,  which  is  detrimental.  If  the  ascent  be  too  low,  the 
bottom  of  the  flue  next  to  the  basin  will  soon  be  eaten  away  by  the  heat, 
and  thus  in  a  short  time  undermine  and  destroy  the  furnace. 

The  flux  employed  is  also  a  matter  of  moment.  Sand,  and  pulverized 
flinty  gravel,  are  mixed  with  the  lead-ashes  before  smelting.  The  object 
of  this  is  to  promote  the  vitrification  of  the  slag,  which  would  otherwise 
remain  stiff;  the  particles  of  revived  lead  would  not  sink  through  to  the 
bottom,  but  remain  entangled  with  it,  and  thus  be  lost.  Lime  is  also 
sometimes  employed  for  the  same  purpose  ;  and  indeed  any  earth  would 
operate  as  a  flux  to  the  scoriaceous  part  of  the  lead-ashes,  if  added  in  a 
due  proportion,  particularly  the  alkaline  earths.  Lime  and  barytes,  both 
of  which  are  afforded  in  plenty  at  the  mines,  might  therefore  be  advan- 
tageously employed,  when  no  sand  or  easy-melting  silicious  gravel  could 
be  obtained.  Good  fusible  sands  are  readily  attacked  and  liquefied  by 
submitting  to  heat  with  oxides  of  lead,  alkaline  salts,  or  any  other  alka- 
line or  "metallic  flux ;  hence  their  extreme  utility  in  glass,  enamels,  and 
all  other  vitrescent  mixtures.  When,  therefore,  silicious  sand  can  be 
obtained,  it  will  be  found  a  more  powerful  flux  to  lead-ashes  than  either 
gravel,  lime,  spars,  or  any  other  substance,  if  we  except  the  fluor  spar. 
This  is  probably  better  adapted  as  a  flux  than  even  silicious  sands ;  but 
it  has  not  yet  been  brought  to  light  at  the  lead-mines.  Perhaps  the  lower 
strata  of  the  earth  may  afford  it.  It  is  found  at  a  lead-mine  near  Cave 
in-Rock,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  a  little  found  at  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  is 
the  only  place  where  this  rare,  useful,  and  beautiful  mineral,  occurs  in 
the  United  States* 

The  situation  for  an  ash-furnace  is  always  chosen  on  the  declivity  of  a 
hill,  as  represented  in  the  plate.  The  inside  work,  or  lining,  consists  of 
slabs  of  hewn  limestone,  laid  in  clay-mortar,  and  backed  by  solid  ma- 
sonry. Although  a  stone  less  adapted  for  furnaces  could  hardly  be  found, 
yet  it  is  made  here  to  answer  the  purpose,  and  is  an  evidence  of  the  inge- 
nuity of  men  in  making  a  bad  material  answer  when  a  good  one  cannot 
\ , 

*  I  was  mistaken  in  supposing  this  the  only  locality  of  the  filiate  of  lime  in  the 
United  States.  It  has  also  been  found  "in  Virginia,  near  Woodstock  or  Miller's 
town,  Shenandoah  county,  in  small  loose  masses,  in  the  fissures  of  a  limestone  con- 
taining shells.  (Barton.)  —  In  Maryland,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  with 
sulphate  of  barytes.  (Hayden.) — In  New  Jersey,  near  Franklin  Furnace,  in  Susses 
county,  disseminated  in  lamellar  carbonate  of  lime,  and  accompanied  with  mica 
and  carburet  of  iron  ;  also  near  Hamburg,  in  the  same  county,  on  the  turnpike  to 
Pompton,  in  a  vein  of  quartz  and  feldspar.  (Bruce.) — In  New  York,  near  Saratoga 
Springs,  in  limestone;  it  is  nearly  colorless,  and  penetrated  by  pyrites.  —  In  Ver- 
mont, at  Thetford. — In  Connecticut,  at  Middletown,  in  a  vein,  and  is  accompanied 
by  sulphurets  of  lead,  zinc,  and  iron.  (Bruce.) — In  Massachusetts,  at  the  lead-mine 
in  Southampton,  where  it  is  imbedded  in  sulphate  of  barytes,  or  granite;  its  colors 
are  green,  purple,  &e.  —  In  New  Hampshire,  at  Rosebrook's  Gap,  in  the  White 
(Mountains,  in  small  detached  pieces.  (Gibbs.)" — Cleveland's  Mineralogy. 

1G 


182  APPENDIX. 

be  found.  No  sandstone  or  freestone,  of  that  refractory  kind  used  in 
glass  and  iron  furnaces,  is  afforded  in  this  vicinity ;  and  the  smelters  seem 
to  prefer  rebuilding  their  furnaces  often,  to  incurring  the  expense  of 
transporting  good  infusible  sandstones  from  a  distance.  It  is  not  perhaps 
duly  considered,  that  a  furnace  built  of  refractory  materials,  although 
expensive  in  the  erection,  would  be  sufficiently  durable  to  warrant  that 
expense,  and  outlast  several  built  of  limestone,  which  burn  out  every 
blast,  and  have  to  be  rebuilt  from  the  foundation. 

Limestone  is  a  combination  of  the  pure  earth  lime  with  carbonic  acid 
and  water ;  it  is  a  carbonate  of  lime.  When  subjected  to  a  red  heat,  it 
parts  with  its  carbonic  acid  and  water,  and,  if  the  operation  be  continued 
long  enough,  is  converted  into  quicklime.  This  effect,  therefore,  takes 
place  as  well  in  the  lead-furnace  as  in  the  limekiln,  and  with  this  differ- 
ence only — that  in  the  former  it  is  laid  in  a  wall,  protected  in  some  degree 
from  the  heat,  and  will  not  part  with  its  carbonic  acid  readily  ;  while  in 
the  latter  it  is  broken  into  comparatively  small  lumps,  exposed  to  the  heat 
on  all  sides,  and  is  easily  and  readily  converted  into  quicklime. 

Nevertheless,  although  this  calcination  is  constantly  progressing,  an 
ash-furnace  will  last  from  fifteen  to  twenty  days,  according  to  the  skill 
which  has  been  displayed  in  its  construction,  and  the  particular  quality 
of  the  stone  employed.  When  the  stone  partakes  of  clay  (alumina),  it 
runs  into  a  variety  of  argillaceous  limestone,  and  is  manifestly  better 
adapted  to  resist  the  effects  of  fire.  Whenever  the  furnace  is  cooled,  so 
that  the  stone  can  attract  moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  it  falls  into 
quicklime.  This  change  does  not,  however,  take  place  rapidly ;  for  the 
burning  has  seldom  been  uniform,  and  the  stones  have  either  been  over- 
burned,  or  not  burned  enough  ;  so  that  it  requires  several  days,  and  even 
weeks,  to  assume  the  powdery  state. 

An  ash-furnace,  built  of  limestone,  is  estimated  to  cost  a  hundred  dol- 
lars. This  includes  every  expense,  and  such  a  furnace  lasts  during  one 
blast,  say  fifteen  or  twenty  days ;  perhaps,  with  great  care,  it  will  run  a 
month.  During  this  time,  from  sixty  to  ninety  thousand  pounds  of  lead 
ought  to  be  made. 

When  a  furnace  is  completed,  it  requires  several  days  to  dry  it,  and 
bring  it  to  the  proper  state  for  smelting.  About  ten  days  are  usually 
spent  in  this.  The  fire  is  begun  very  moderately  at  first,  being  only  the 
warmth  of  a  hot  smoke,  and  is  kept  so  for  the.  first  five  days,  by  which 
means  the  moisture  of  the  mortar  and  stone  is  gradually  expelled,  and 
without  any  danger  of  cracking  the  stone,  or  otherwise  injuring  the  fur- 
nace. It  is  then  raised  a  little  every  day  until  the  furnace  is  brought  up 
to  a  full  red  heat,  when  it  is  ready  for  the  first  charge  of  ashes. 

The  operation  begins  by  shovelling  a  layer  of  ashes  on  the  mouth  of 
the  flue,  then  adding  a  thin  layer  of  sand  or  flinty  gravel  as  a  flux,  and 
then  more  ashes ;  and  so  adding  gravel  and  ashes  alternately,  until  the 
required  quantity  is  shovelled  up.     This  is  suffered  to  lie  here  and  grow 


METHOD    OF  WORKING   THE   MINES.  183 

thoroughly  hot  before  it  is  shoved  down  the  flue  into  the  basin ;  for,  if 
introduced  cold,  it  would  check  the  heat  too  suddenly,  and  prove  inju- 
rious in  the  result.  When  hot,  the  charge  is  shoved  down  the  flue  with 
a  long-handled  iron  hoe,  and  another  portion  of  ashes  and  gravel  imme 
diately  shovelled  on  the  mouth,  suffered  to  heat,  and  then  pushed  down 
as  before.  This  operation  of  heating  and  charging  is  continued  until  the 
furnace  has  a  full  charge,  which  may  require  about  six  hours,  and  in  two 
hours  more  the  furnace  is  ready  for  tapping.  The  slag,  which  is  in  a 
very  fluid  state  on  the  top  of  the  lead,  is  first  drawn  off,  and  the  aperture 
closed  up  with  stone  and  mortar.  The  smelter  then  goes  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  furnace,  and  prepares  for  drawing  off  the  lead  by  driving  a 
stout  sharp  pointed  iron  bar  through  the  side  of  the  furnace,  at  a  parti- 
cular place  contrived  for  this  purpose.  On  removing  the  bar,  the  metallic 
lead  flows  out  into  a  large  iron  pot  set  in  the  ground,  and  accompanied 
by  a  considerable  quantity  of  a  semi-metallic  substance,  called  zane. 
This  is  lead  not  perfectly  revived,  being  combined  with  some  earthy  par- 
ticles, and  oxide  of  lead.  The  zane  occupies  the  top  of  the  pot,  and  is 
first  ladled  out  into  hemispherical  holes  dug  in  the  clay  near  by.  This 
substance  is  of  the  consistence  of  the  prepared  sand  used  by  brass- 
founders  when  hot,  but  acquires  considerable  solidity  when  cold.  The 
metallic  lead  is  then  ladled  into  iron  moulds  of  about  eighteen  inches  in 
length,  and  yielding  a  pig  of  lead  of  about  fifty  pounds  each.  The  quan- 
tity of  zane  made  at  each  tapping  is  about  equal  to  that  of  metallic  lead. 
This  is  afterwards  taken  to  the  log  furnace,  and  readily  converted  into 
lead.  The  lead  made  at  the  ash-furnace  is  not  thought  to  be  of  so'  pure 
a  quality  as  that  of  the  first  smelting  made  at  the  log  furnace.  It  un- 
doubtedly contains  any  other  metals  that  may  be  combined  with  the  ore, 
and  is  therefore  more  refractory.  Such  lead  is  thought  to  be  a  little 
harder,  and  some  pretend  to  discover  a  lighter  color. 

The  lead-ashes  are  reckoned  to  yield  fifteen  per  cent,  of  lead  (zane  and 
all),  which,  added  to  the  first  smelting,  makes  an  average  product  of 
sixty-five  per  cent.  This  estimate  will  hold  good  uniformly,  when  the 
ores  have  been  properly  dressed,  and  the  smelting  well  performed.  Any 
spar  adhering  to  the  ore,  renders  it  refractory ;  blende  and  pyrites  have 
the  same  effect.  The  latter  is  particularly  injurious,  as  it  consists  chiefly 
of  sulphur ;  a  substance  known  to  render  all  ores  refractory. 

The  slag  created  by  the  ash-furnace  is  a  heavy,  black,  glassy  substance, 
well  melted,  and  still  containing  a  portion  of  lead.  Some  attempts  have 
been  made  to  obtain  a  further  portion  of  lead  from  it,  by  smelting  with 
charcoal  in  a  blast-furnace  ;  but  the  undertaking  has  not  been  attended 
with  complete  success,  and  is  not  generally  thought  to  warrant  the  ex- 
pense. The  per  centage  of  lead  recovered  from  the  slag  is  not  estimated 
at  over  ten,  and,  with  the  utmost  success,  cannot  be  reckoned  to  exceed 
twelve. 

Some  practical  and  miscellaneous  observations  may  here  be  added. 


184  APPENDIX. 

Metallic  lead  in  the  pig  is  now  (Feb.  1819)  worth  $4  per  cwt.  at  the  mines. 
It  sells  for  $4  50  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  at  St.  Genevieve  and 
Herculaneum  ;  for  $5  50  in  New  Orleans  ;  and  is  quoted  at  $6  in  Phila- 
delphia. This  is  lower  than  has  ever  been  known  before,  (except  at  oiv3 
period,)  and  a  consequent  depression  in  the  mining  business  is  felt.  There 
is  a  governmental  duty  of  one  cent  per  pound  on  all  bar  and  pig  lead 
imported  into  the  United  States  ;  but  it  does  not  amount  to  a  prohibition 
of  foreign  lead  from  our  markets.  Perhaps  such  a  prohibition  might  be 
deemed  expedient.  It  is  what  the  lead-smelters  here  call  for ;  and  cer- 
tainly the  resources  of  this  country  are  very  ample,  not  only  for  supply- 
ing the  domestic  consumption,  but  for  exportation. 

Those  who  dig  the  ore  do  not  always  smelt  it.  The  merchants  are 
generally  the  smelters,  and  either  employ  their  own  slaves  in  raising  the 
ore,  or  pay  a  stipulated  price  per  cwt.  to  those  who  choose  to  dig.  For 
every  hundred  pounds  of  ore,  properly  cleaned,  the  digger  receives  two 
dollars.  He  works  on  his  own  account,  and  runs  the  risk  of  finding  ore. 
It  is  estimated  that  an  ordinary  hand  will  raise  a  hundredweight  per  day, 
on  an  average  of  a  year  together.  This,  however,  depends  much  upon 
luck ;  sometimes  a  vast  body  is  fallen  upon,  with  a  few  hours'  labor;  at 
others,  many  weeks  are  spent  without  finding  any.  He  who  perseveres 
will,  however,  generally  succeed ;  and  the  labor  bestowed  upon  the  most 
unpromising  mine,  is  never  wholly  lost.  The  above  average  has  been 
made  by  those  long  conversant  with  the  business,  and  upon  a  full  consi- 
deration of  all  risks. 

Custom  has  established  a  number  of  laws  among  the  miners,  with 
regard  to  digging,  which  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  disputes.  Whenever 
a  discovery  is  made,  the  person  making  it  is  entitled  to  claim  the  ground 
for  twenty-five  feet  in  every  direction  from  his  pit,  giving  him  fifty  feet 
square.  Other  diggers  are  each  entitled  to  twelve  feet  square,  which  is 
just  enough  to  sink  a  pit,  and  afford  room  for  throwing  out  the  earth. 
Each  one  measures  and  stakes  off  his  ground,  and,  though  he  should  not 
begin  to  work  for  several  days  afterwards,  no  person  will  intrude  upon  it. 
On  this  spot  he  digs  down,  but  is  not  allowed  to  run  drifts  horizontally, 
so  as  to  break  into  or  undermine  the  pits  of  others.  If  appearances  are 
unpromising,  or  he  strikes  the  rock,  and  chooses  to  abandon  his  pit,  he 
can  go  on  any  unoccupied  ground,  and,  observing  the  same  precautions, 
begin  anew.  In  such  a  case,  the  abandoned  pit  may  be  occupied  by  any 
other  person  ;  and  sometimes  large  bodies  of  ore  are  found  by  the  second 
occupant,  by  a  little  work,  which  would  have  richly  rewarded  the  labors 
of  the  first,  had  he  persevered. 

In  digging  down  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  the  rock  is  generally 
struck  ;  and  as  the  signs  of  ore  frequently  give  out  on  coming  to  the  rock, 
many  of  the  pits  are  carried  no  further.  This  rock  is  invariably  lime- 
stone, though  there  are  many  varieties  of  it,  the  texture  varying  from 
very  hard  and  compact,  to  soft  and  friable.     The  former  is  considered  by 


METHOD    OF    WORKING    THE    MINES.  185 

the  diggers  as  a  flinty  stone ;  the  latter  is  called  rotten  limestone ;  and, 
from  its  crumbling  between  the  fingers,  and  falling  into  grains,  there  is 
a  variety  of  it  called  sandstone.  It  is  all,  however,  a  calcareous  car- 
bonate, will  burn  into  quicklime,  and,  as  I  find  on  experiment,  is  com- 
pletely soluble  in  nitric  acid.  As  no  remains  or  impressions  of  shells, 
animalculce,  or  other  traces  of  animal  life,  are  to  be  found  in  it,  I  con- 
clude it  to  be  what  geologists  term  metalliferous  limestone;  a  conclusion 
which  is  strengthened  by  its  semi-crystalline  fracture.  It  exhibits 
regular  stratification,  being  always  found  in  horizontal  masses.  How 
far  this  formation  extends,  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine ;  but,  so  far 
as  my  observation  goes,  it  is  invariably  the  basis  on  which  the  mineral 
soil  at  Mine  ;\  Burton,  and  the  numerous  mines  in  its  vicinity,  reposes. 
It  is  overlaid  by  secondary  limestone  in  various  places  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi,  between  Cape  Girardeau  and  St.  Louis.  It  is  also  seen 
passing  into  a  variety  of  secondary  marble,  in  several  localities.  I 
have  seen  no  specimens  of  this  mineral,  however,  which  can  be  consi- 
dered as  a  valuable  material  in  sculpture. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  per  centage  of  lead  obtained  by  smelting 
in  the  large  way.  I  shall  here  add  the  result  of  an  assay  made  on  the 
ore.     One  hundred  parts  of  ore  yielded  as  follows : 

Metallic  lead 82 

Sulphur  driven  off  by  torrefaction 11 

Earthy  matter,  and  further  portion  of  sulphur,  either 

combined  with  the  scoria,  or  driven  off  by  heat. ...     7  by  estimation. 

100 

The  ore  experimented  upon  was  the  common  ore  of  Mine  a  Burton,  (ga- 
lena.) I  took  a  lump  of  the  purest  ore,  completely  freed  from  all  sparry 
and  other  extraneous  matter,  beat  it  into  a  very  gross  powder,  and  roasted 
for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  a  moderate  heat,  with  frecpaent  stirring.  On 
weighing  the  mass,  it  had  lost  11  of  sulphur.  I  now  beat  this  to  a  very 
fine  powder,  and  treated  it  with  a  strong  flux  of  nitre  and  dry  carbonate 
of  soda,  adding  some  iron  filings  to  absorb  the  last  portions  of  sulphur. 
The  whole  was  enclosed  in  a  good  Hessian  crucible,  previously  smeared 
with  charcoal,  with  a  luted  cover,  and  exposed  for  twenty  minutes  to  the 
high  heat  of  a  small  chemical  blast-furnace. 

The  richest  species  of  galena,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  is  that 
of  Durham,  England.  An  analysis  of  a  specimen  of  this  ore  by  Dr. 
Thompson,  gave  the  following  result: 

Lead 85  13 

Sulphur 13  02 

Oxide  of  iron 0  5 

98  65 
16* 


186  APPENDIX. 

Many  of  the  English,  and  nearly  all  the  German  ores,  are,  however,  much 
poorer.  Of  five  several  experiments  made  by  Vauquelin  on  ores  from 
different  mines  in  Germany,  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  lead  was  the  richest, 
and  all  were  united  with  uncommon  portions  of  carbonated  lime  and 
silex. 

The  button  of  metallic  lead  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  crucible  in 
chemical  assays,  contains  also  the  silver,  and  other  metals,  if  any  should  be 
present  in  the  ore.  So  also,  in  smelting  in  the  large  way,  the  metallic  lead 
is  always  united  with  the  other  metals.  When  ores  of  lead  contain  any 
considerable  portion  of  silver,  they  assume  a  fine  steel  grain ;  and  the 
crystals,  which  are  smaller  than  in  common  galena,  oftener  affect  the 
octohedral,  than  the  cubical  figure.  They  are  also  harder-to  melt ;  and 
the  lead  obtained  is  not  of  so  soft  and  malleable  a  nature  as  that  pro- 
cured from  the  broad-grained,  easy-melting  ore. 

The  proportion  of  silver  in  lead  varies  greatly.  It  is  sometimes  found 
to  yield  as  high  as  twelve  per  cent.,  and  is  then  called  argentiferous  lead- 
glance  ;  but,  in  the  poorest  ores,  it  does  not  yield  more  than  one  ounce 
out  of  three  hundred.  To  separate  the  silver  from  the  lead,  a  process  is 
pursued  called  the  refining  of  lead,  or  cupellation.  This  is  effected  by 
exposing  the  lead  to  a  moderate  heat  in  a  cupel,  and  removing  the  oxide 
as  soon  as  it  forms  on  the  surface,  until  the  whole  is  calcined,  leaving 
the  silver  in  the  bottom  of  the  cupel.  The  lead  in  this  process  is  con- 
verted into  litharge,  the  well-known  substance  of  commerce ;  and  the 
silver  is  afterwards  refined  by  a  second  process,  in  which  the  last  por- 
tions of  lead  are  entirely  got  rid  of.  This  process  is  known  at  the  German 
refineries  under  the  name  of  silber  brennen,  burning  silver. 

The  rationale  of  cupellation  is  simply  this.  Lead  on  exposure  to  heat, 
with  access  of  air,  is  covered  by  a  thin  pellicle  or  scum,  called  an  oxide ; 
and  by  removing  this,  another  is  formed  ;  and  so,  by  continuing  to  take 
off  the  oxide,  the  whole  quantity  of  lead  is  converted  into  an  oxide.  It 
is  called  an  oxide,  because  it  is  a  combination  of  lead  with  oxygen  (one 
of  the  principles  of  air  and  of  water.)  By  this  combination,  an  increase 
of  weight  takes  place,  so  that  a  hundred  pounds  of  bar-lead,  converted 
into  the  state  of  an  oxide,  will  weigh  as  much  over  a  hundred,  as  the 
weight  of  the  oxygen  which  it  has  attracted  from  the  atmosphere.  Silver, 
however,  on  being  exposed  to  heat  in  the  same  situation,  cannot  be  con- 
verted into  an  oxide  ;  it  has  no  attractive  power  for  oxygen.  Hence, 
when  this  metal  is  contained  in  a  bar  of  lead,  the  lead  only  is  oxygenated 
on  exposure  in  a  cupel ;  whilst  the  silver  remains  unaltered,  but  con- 
stantly concentrating  and  sinking,  till  the  lead  is  all  calcined.  This  is 
known,  to  a  practised  eye,  by  the  increased  splendor  assumed  by  the 
metal. 

I  do  not  think  the  ore  of  Mine  a  Burton  contains  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  silver  to  render  the  separation  an  object.  This  is  to  be  inferred  from 
its  mineralogical  character,  from  the  mathematical  figure  and  size  of  the 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  187 

crystal,  its  color,  splendor,  &c.  The  territory  is  not,  however,  it  is  be- 
lieved, deficient  in  ores  which  are  valuable  for  the  silver  they  contain. 
The  head  of  White  river,  the  Arkansas,  the  Mararaec,  and  Strawberry 
rivers,  all  afford  ores  of  lead,  the  appearance  of  which  leads  us  to  conclude 
they  may  yield  silver  in  considerable  quantity. 


SECTION  V. 

ANNUAL  PRODUCT,  AND  NUMBER  OF  HANDS  EMPLOYED. 

On  this  head,  it  is  very  difficult  to  procure  proper  information.  The 
desultory  manner  in  which  the  mines  have  been  wrought,  and  the  imper- 
fect method  in  which  accounts  have  been  kept,  when  kept  at  all,  with 
other  circumstances,  which  are  in  some  measure  incidental  to  the  opera- 
tions of  mining  in  a  new  country,  oppose  so  many  obstacles  in  the  way 
of  obtaining  the  desired  information,  that  I  find  it  impossible  to  present 
a  correct  statement,  from  authentic  sources,  of  the  annual  product  of  the 
mines  for  any  series  of  years.  When  Louisiana  was  first  occupied  by 
the  United  States,  Mine  k  Burton  and  Mine  La  Motte  were  the  principal 
mines  wrought ;  but  the  few  Americans  who  had  emigrated  into  the  terri- 
tory, under  the  Spanish  government,  were  fully  aware  of  the  advantages 
to  be  derived  from  the  smelting  of  lead,  and,  united  to  the  emigrant 
population  which  shortly  succeeded,  made  many  new  discoveries,  and  the 
business  was  prosecuted  with  increased  vigor,  and  to  a  much  greater 
extent.  The  interior  parts  of  the  country,  and  such  as  had  before  been 
deemed  dangerous  on  account  of  the  Indians,  were  now  eagerly  explored  ; 
and  the  fortunate  discovery  of  several  immense  bodies  of  ore  near  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  whereby  the  discoverers  enriched  themselves  by  a 
few  days'  labor,  had  a  tendency  greatly  to  increase  the  fame  of  the  mines, 
and  the  number  of  miners.  But,  as  generally  happens  in  new  countries, 
among  the  number  of  emigrants  were  several  desperate  adventurers,  and 
men  of  the  most  abandoned  character.  Hence,  the  mines  soon  became 
the  scene  of  every  disorder,  depravity,  and  crime,  and  a  common  rendez- 
vous for  renegadoes  of  all  parts.  It  is  by  such  persons  that  many  of  the 
mines  were  discovered,  and  several  of  them  wrought ;  and  it  is,  therefore, 
no  subject  of  surprise,  that,  on  inquiry,  no  accounts  of  the  quantity  of 
lead  made,  and  the  number  of  hands  employed,  are  to  be  found. 

To  secure  the  public  interest,  and  remedy,  in  some  degree,  the  irregu- 
larities practised  at  the  mines,  a  law  was  passed  in  Congress,  a  few  years 
after  the  cession  of  Louisiana,  reserving  all  lead-mines,  salt-springs,  &c, 
which  should  be  discovered  on  the  public  lands,  subsequent  to  that  pe- 
riod ;  and  the  Governor  of  the  Territory  was,  at  the  same  time,  author- 


188  APPENDIX. 

izod  to  grant  leases  to  discoverers  for  three  years.  The  great  defect  of 
that  law  appears  always  to  have  been,  that  a  specific  agent  was  not  at  the 
same  time  authorized  to  be  appointed  for  the  general  superintendence, 
inspection,  and  management  of  mines  —  an  office  which,  from  its  nature, 
can  never  be  properly  incorporated  with  that  of  the  territorial  executive, 
and  which,  with  every  inclination,  it  is  presumed  his  other  avocations 
would  prevent  him  from  discharging  either  with  usefulness  to  the  public, 
or  satisfaction  to  himself.  But,  whatever  be  the  defect  of  the  law,  cer- 
tainly  the  advantages  which  the  government  proposed  to  derive  from  it 
have  not  accrued.  No  revenue,  it  is  understood,  has  yet  been  realized 
under  it,  and  we  are  now  as  much  at  a  loss  how  to  arrive  at  a  true  state- 
ment of  the  mineral  product  of  Missouri,  as  if  the  mines  had  never  been 
a  subject  of  governmental  legislation. 

When  a  discovery  of  lead  has  been  made,  the  miners  from  the  neigh- 
boring country  have  flocked  to  it,  and  commenced  digging  as  usual,  no 
one  troubling  himself  about  a  lease ;  and  thus  the  provisions  of  the  act 
have  been  in  a  great  measure  disregarded.  Men  of  respectability,  and 
of  sufficient  capital  to  carry  on  mining  in  a  systematic  manner,  have,  it 
is  believed,  been  frequently  deterred  from  making  applications  for  leases, 
from  the  short  period  for  which  only  they  can  be  granted.  It  would  not 
warrant  the  expense  of  sinking  shafts,  erecting  permanent  furnaces,  gal- 
leries, and  other  works  necessary  for  prosecuting  the  business  to  advan- 
tage ;  for,  no  sooner  would  such  works  be  erected,  and  the  mines  begin 
to  be  effectually  wrought,  than  the  expiration  of  the  lease  would  throw 
them  into  the  hands  of  some  more  successful  applicant. 

But,  although  we  have  no  data  to  form  an  authenticated  schedule  of 
the  annual  product  of  the  mines  for  any  required  number  of  years,  there 
is  something  to  be  obtained  by  collecting  and  comparing  facts,  detached 
and  scanty  as  they  are.  Something  also  is  to  be  acquired  by  consulting 
the  books  which  have  been  kept  of  late  years  in  the  warehouses  on  the 
Mississippi,  where  the  lead  is  sent  for  exportation,  and  some  information 
is  also  to  be  gleaned  from  various  other  sources.  It  is  from  information 
thus  obtained  that  I  proceed  to  an  enumeration  of  the  products  of  the 
different  mines,  and  the  number  of  persons  to  whom  they  furnish  employ- 
ment and  support,  satisfied,  at  the  same  time,  that  although  the  informa- 
tion may  not  be  all  that  could  be  desired,  yet  it  is  all  which,  without  the 
most  extraordinary  exertions,  could  be  obtained. 

The  amount  of  crude  ore  delivered  at  the  furnaces  of  Mine  Shibboleth, 
during  one  of  its  most  productive  years  (1811),  was  something  rising  of 
5,000,000  of  pounds.  The  ore  of  this  mine  is  estimated  to  yield,  in  the 
large  way,  from  60  to  70  per  cent.,  reckoned  at  G2.V,  which  is  probably  a 
fair  average.  The  product  of  the  mine  in  1811  was  3,125,000  pounds. 
Shibboleth  is,  however,  one  of  the  richest  mines  in  the  Territory,  and  this 
is  the  product  of  one  of  those  years  in  which  it  was  most  profitably 
worked.     It  was  then  a  new  discovery,  vast  bodies  of  ore  were  found  near 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  189 

the  surface,  and  the  number  of  miners  drawn  together  by  the  fame  of  its 
riches  -was  uncommonly  great.  It  has  since  declined,  although  the  ore 
is  still  constantly  found ;  and  I  am  informed  by  Colonel  Smith,  the  pre- 
sent proprietor,  that  the  product  this  year  (1819)  will  be  about  one  million 
of  pounds. 

The  number  of  persons  employed  in  digging  lead  at  Mine  a  Burton  has 
been  constantly  lessening  for  the  last  four  or  five  years ;  and  this  cele- 
brated mine,  which  has  been  worked  without  interruption  for  more  than 
forty  years,  and  is  stated  to  have  yielded  as  high  as  three  millions  per 
annum,  is  manifestly  in  a  state  of  decline.  During  the  last  summer 
(1818),  the  greater  part  of  which  I  resided  at  that  place,  there  were  not 
more  than  thirty  miners  employed  ;  and  the  total  product  of  the  different 
pits,  shafts,  and  diggings,  composing  this  mine,  did  not  exceed  half  a 
million  of  pounds.  Of  this  quantity,  Messrs.  Samuel  Perry  &  Co.  were 
the  manufacturers  of  about  300,000  lbs.  They  contemplate  realizing  an 
.increased  quantity  during  the  present  year.  John  Rice  Jones,  Esq.,  is 
also  engaged  in  penetrating  the  rock  in  search  of  ore,  with  the  most  flat- 
tering prospects,  and  is  determined,  as  he  informs  me,  to  sink  through 
the  upper  stratum  of  limestone,  and  ascertain  the  character  of  the  suc- 
ceeding formations.  It  is  highly  probable,  reasoning  from  geognostic 
relations,  that  the  lower  formations  will  prove  metalliferous,  yielding 
both  lead  and  copper ;  a  discovery  which  would  form  a  new  era  in  the 
history  of  those  mines.  The  present  mode  of  promiscuous  digging  on 
the  surface  would  then  be  abandoned,  and  people  made  to  see  and  to 
realize  the  advantages  of  the  only  system  of  mining  which  can  be  perma- 
nently, uniformly,  and  successfully  pursued,  viz.,  by  penetrating  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth. 

Several  other  persons  of  intelligence  and  capital  are  also  engaged  in 
mining  at  this  place,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  total  amount  of  lead 
manufactured  at  this  mine  during  the  year  1819  will  fall  little  short  of 
one  million  of  pounds. 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred,  however,  that  because  the  number  of  miners  at 
Potosi  has  decreased,  the  mines  are  exhausted.  On  the  contrary,  there 
is  reason  to  conclude,  as  already  mentioned,  that  the  principal  bodies  of 
ore  have  not  yet  been  discovered,  and  that  it  is  destined  to  become  the 
seat  of  the  most  extensive  and  important  mining  operations.  The  ore 
heretofore  raised  at  these  mines  has  been  chiefly  found  in  the  stratum  of 
earth  which  forms  the  surface  of  that  country,  and  is  bottomed  on 
the  limestone.  This  stratum  consists  of  a  stiff  red  clay,  passing  in  some 
places  into  marl,  and  in  others  partaking  more  of  the  silicious  character 
forming  a  loam,  and  imbedding  the  ores  of  lead,  accompanied  by  the 
various  mineralogical  species  before  mentioned.  These  minerals  are  often 
of  a  very  attractive  character  for  cabinets. 

The  depth  of  this  soil  is  sometimes  thirty  feet ;  and  in  this  the 
diggings  have  been  chiefly  done,  requiring  no  other  machinery  than  is 


190  APPENDIX. 

used  in  well-digging  5  and  the  stratum  of  rock  has  generally  put  a  stop 
to  the  progress  of  the  miner,  although  veins  of  ore  penetrating  it  have 
often  invited  him  in  the  pursuit.  But  it  requires  different  tools,  ma- 
chinery, and  works,  for  mining  in  rock;  the  process  is  also  more  tedious 
and  expensive,  and  is  considered  especially  so  hy  those  who  have  been 
accustomed  from  their  youth  to  find  bodies  of  ore  by  a  few  days'  digging 
in  the  earth,  and  who,  if  they  should  work  a  fortnight  at  one  place,  and 
not  fall  upon  a  bed  of  ore,  would  go  away  quite  disheartened.  The 
principal  search  has  therefore  been  made  in  the  sub-stratum  of  clay, 
where  large  bodies  of  ore  are  sometimes  found  by  a  day's,  and  sometimes 
by  an  hour's  work.  Hence,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Potosi,  the  ground 
has  been  pretty  well  explored,  and  more  search  and  labor  is  required  to 
find  it  than  in  other  and  more  distant  places,  where  new  mines  continue 
annually  to  be  discovered.  But,  with  the  exception  of  Austin's  shaft, 
who  sunk  eighty  feet,  and  the  mines  opened  by  Jones,  the  rock  at  this 
mine  remains  unpenetrated.  Austin  found  large  quantities  of  ore  filling 
crevices  in  the  rock,  and  the  appearances  were  flattering  when  the  last 
work  was  done.  In  sinking  down,  a  change  in  the  rock  was  expe- 
rienced, passing  from  compact  solid  gray  limestone,  by  several  grada- 
tions, into  a  loose  granulated  limestone,  very  friable,  and  easily  reduced 
to  grains.  This  stone  was  in  some  instances  completely  disintegrated, 
forming  a  calcareous  sand ;  and  the  most  compact  bodies  of  it,  on  a  few 
weeks'  exposure  at  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  fall  into  grains.  These  grains 
are,  however,  wholly  calcareous,  and  readily  soluble  in  nitric  and  muriatic 
acids.  The  portion  which  I  submitted  to  experiment  was  taken  up  com- 
pletely, nor  was  any  sediment  deposited  by  many  months'  standing.  On 
going  deeper,  the  rock  again  graduated  into  a  compact  limestone,  very 
hard,  and  of  a  bluish-gray  color,  in  which  were  frequently  found  small 
cavities  studded  over  with  minute  pyramids  of  limpid  quartz.  These 
variations  in  the  structure  of  the  earth  and  rock  in  that  place,  are  still 
observable  by  the  stones,  spars,  and  other  minerals,  lying  around  the 
mouths  of  the  mines ;  and,  upon  the  whole,  the  appearances  are  such  as 
.to  justify  a  conclusion  that  the  lower  strata  of  rocks  at  Potosi,  and  the 
numerous  mines  in  its  vicinity,  are  of  a  highly  metalliferous  character, 
and  such  as  to  warrant  the  .expenditures  incident  to  a  search. 

From  a  statement  lately  drawn  up,  and  certified  by  the  proprietors  of 
warehouses  at  Herculaneum,  it  appears  that  the  total  quantity  of  pig 
and  bar  lead,  and  shot,  exported  from  that  place,  from  January  1,  1817, 
to  June  1,  1818,  a  period  of  eighteen  months,  was  3,194,249  pounds. 
Herculaneum  may  be  considered  the  depot  for  the  lead  of  Mine  Shibbo- 
leth, Richwoods,  Bellefontaine,  a  portion  of  the  lead  of  Mine  a  Burton 
and  Potosi,  and  a  few  other  mines  in  that  neighborhood.  Perhaps  nearly 
or  quite  half  of  the  whole  quantity  of  lead  yearly  smelted  at  the  Missouri 
mines,  is  shipped  from  this  place.     Here  then  is  an  average  product  of 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  191 

2,395,067  pounds  per  annum,  for  the  years  1817  and  1818,  from  those 
mines  which  send  their  lead  to  Herculaneum. 

Assuming  the  ground  that  these  mines  produce  only  half  of  what  is 
annually  made  at  the  whole  number  of  mines,  which  I  conclude  may  be 
a  true  estimate,  we  shall  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  that  the  annual  pro- 
duct of  the  Missouri  mines  for  those  years  was  four  millions,  seven  hun- 
dred and  ninety-one  thousand,  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  pounds. 
This,  estimated  at  the  present  price  of  four  cents  per  pound,  gives  us  a 
sum  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-one  thousand,  six  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  dollars.  Thi3  is  the  produce  of  one  year ;  and  supposing  the  mines 
to  have  produced  the  same  average  quantity  during  every  year  since  they 
have  been  in  possession  of  the  United  States,  we  have  a  sum  of  throe 
millions,  sixty-six  thousand,  four  hundred  and  forty-eight  dollars ;  which 
is  more  than  the  original  cost  of  Louisiana,  as  purchased  from  France 
during  the  administration  of  President  Jefferson.  Let  those  who  have 
any  doubts  of  the  value  of  our  mines,  reflect  upon  this,  and  consider 
that  it  was  the  product  of  a  year  when  the  mines  were  in  a  manifest 
state  of  decline,  and  wrought  wholly  by  individuals,  with  a  foreign  com- 
petition to  oppose,  and  without  the  benefits  resulting  from  a  systematic 
organization  of  the  mining  interest. 

Nearly  all  the  lead  smelted  at  the  Missouri  mines  is  transported  in 
carts  and  wagons  from  the  interior  to  St.  Genevieve  and  Herculaneum. 
As  it  must  necessarily  be  deposited  for  storage  at  those  places,  it  was 
naturally  expected  that  authentic  accounts  of  the  lead  manufactured  in 
the  Territory  for  many  years,  might  be  obtained  on  application.  But  in 
this,  I  experienced  some  degree  of  disappointment.  At  St.  Genevieve, 
although  a  warehouse  has  been  kept  at  the  landing  for  many  years,  the 
lead  sent  to  town  has  not  all  been  stored.  From  the  earliest  time,  and 
before  the  establishment  of  a  warehouse  by  Mr.  Janies,  the  French  inha- 
bitants of  St.  Genevieve  had  all  been  more  or  less  engaged  in  the  storage, 
purchase,  and  traffic  of  lead.  Every  dwelling-house  thus  became  a  store- 
house for  lead,  and,  in  these  cases,  no  regular  accounts  were  kept  of  the  / 
quantities  received  or  delivered.  The  same  practice  has,  in  some  mea- 
sure, continued  since,  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  obtain,  with  any  preci- 
cision,  the  amount  shipped  from  this  place.  At  Herculaneum,  a  ware- 
house has  been  kept  since  the  year  1810 ;  and  on  application  to  Mr. 
Elias  Bates,  the  proprietor,  he  was  so  obliging  as  to  allow  me  permission 
to  peruse  his  book  of  receipts,  for  the  purpose  of  making  extracts.  The 
following  details  embrace  the  receipts  of  lead  at  that  place  for  a  period 
of  two  years  and  eleven  months,  ending  May  18,  1819. 


192  APPENDIX. 

I.  A  Series  of  Receipts,  from  June  10,  181G,  to  December  31  of  the  same 
year,  being  a  period  of  six  months  and  fourteen  days. 

Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts 52,781  lbs. 

2 57,097 

3 55,039 

4 58,892 

5 50,639 

6 63,787 

7 55,663 

8 47,287 

Aggregate  of  separate  individual  acc'ts  during  same  period. 322, 134 

Total 763,319 

II.  A  Series  of  Receipts  from  31st  Dec.  1816,  to  Slst  Dec.  1817. 
Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts 12,375  lbs. 

2 51,521 

3 49,023 

4 60,576 

5 54,242 

6 47,321 

7 60,956 

8 51,420 

9 43,774 

10 42,694 

11 47,958 

12 15,482 

.       » 

537,343 
Aggregate  of  separate  individual  acc'ts  during  same  period .  501,903 

Total 1,039,246 

III.  A  Series  of  Receipts  from  Zlst  Dec.  1817,  to  2>\st  Dec.  1818. 

Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts 24,261  lbs. 

2 , 45,981 

3 31,041 

4 39,424 

5 34,711 

6 44,266 

7 31,315 

8 56,442 

9 33,932 

341,372 
Aggregate  of  separate  individual  acc'ts  during  same  period.  112,203 

Total 453,575 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  193 

IV.  A  Series  of  Receipts  from  2,1st  Dec.  1818,  to  18th  May  1819. 

Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts 14,764  lbs. 

o 44,323 

3 44,628 

103,715 
Aggregate  of  separate  individual  acc'ts  during  same  period.  26,211 

Total 129,926 


RECAPITULATION. 

1816  763,319  lbs. 

1817  1,039,246 

1818  453,575 

1819  129,926 

Total 2  386,066 


During  eighteen  months  of  the  same  period,  from  Dec.  31st,  1816,  to 
June  1st,  1818,  there  was  deposited  with,  and  shipped  by,  sundry  other 
persons  in  Herculaneum,  as  ascertained  by  Colonel  S.  Hammond  and  M. 
Austin,  Esq.,  517,495  pounds  of  lead,  together  with  patent  shot,  manu- 
factured by  Elias  Bates  and  Christian  Wilt,  to  the  amount  of  668,350 
pounds.  For  the  remaining  part  of  the  estimated  term,  (two  years  and 
eleven  months,)  it  is  reasonable  to  presume  that  a  like  quantity  of  lead 
was  exported  through  private  channels  at  Herculaneum,  and  a  like  quan- 
tity of  shot  manufactured  by  Messrs.  Bates  and  Wilt.  This  will  make 
the  quantity  of  pig  and  bar  lead  shipped  by  individuals,  1,034,990 
pounds,  and  the  quantity  of  patent  shot  manufactured,  1,356,700  pounds  ; 
which  two  sums,  added  to  the  receipts  of  Mr.  Bates's  warehouse,  as  de- 
tailed above,  gives  us  an  aggregate  amount  of  4,757,990  pounds,  for  the 
period  of  two  years  and  eleven  months.  St.  Genevieve,  as  has  already 
been  mentioned,  is  probably  the  storehouse  for  one-half  of  the  mines, 
and  may  therefore  be  estimated  to  have  received  and  exported  the  same 
quantity  of  pig  and  bar  lead  during  the  same  period,  making  a  total  of 
9,515,512  pounds,  which  gives  an  average  product  of  more  than  three 
million  of  pounds  of  lead  per  annum. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  in  what  proportion  the  different  mines 
have  contributed  to  this  amount.  The  above  details  show  us  their  col- 
lective importance ;  but  we  should  then  be  enabled  to  estimate  their 
individual  and  comparative  value.  With  this  view,  I  have  compiled, 
from  the  best  information,  the  following 

17  N 


194 


APPENDIX. 


ESTIMATE. 


j 910,100.... 80 


Minos.  Pounds  of  lead.  No.  of  hands. 

Mine  k  Burton 1,500,000 160 

Mine  Shibboleth 2,700,000 240 

Mine  La  Motte 2,400,000 210 

Richwoods 1,300,000 140 

Bryan's  Mines 

Dogget's  Mines 

Perry's  Diggings 600,000 60 

Elliot's  Mines "| 

Old  Mines [■ 45,000 20 

Bellefontaine ) 

Mine  Astraddle 

Mine  Liberty 

Renault's  Mines } 450,000 40 

Mine  Silvers 

Miller's  Mines 

Cannon's  Diggings " 

Becquet's  Diggings 

Little  Mines 

Rocky  Diggings * 

Citadel  Diggings 

Lambert's  Mine 

Austin's  Mines 

Jones's  Mines J 

Gravelly  Diggings 

Scott's  Mine 

Mine  a  Martin 

Mine  a  Robino  


75,000 30 


.1,160,000 130 


50,000 20 


11,180,000 


1130 


In  this  estimate  are  included  all  persons  concerned  in  the  operations 
of  mining,  and  who  draw  their  support  from  it ;  wood-cutters,  teamsters, 
and  blacksmiths,  as  well  as  those  engaged  in  digging  and  smelting  lead- 
ore,  &c.  The  estimate  is  supposed  to  embrace  a  period  of  three  years, 
ending  1st  June,  1819,  and  making  an  average  product  of  3,726,666  lbs. 
per  annum,  which  is  so  near  the  result  arrived  at  in  the  preceding 
details,  as  to  induce  a  conclusion  that  it  is  essentially  correct,  and  that 
the  mines  of  Missouri,  taken  collectively,  yield  this  amount  of  pig-lead 
annually. 

The  United  States  acquired  possession  of  the  mines  in  the  year  1803, 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  195 

fifteen  years  ago  last  December ;  and,  assuming  the  fact  that  they  have 
annually  produced  this  quantity,  there  has  been  smelted,  under  the 
American  government,  fifty-five  million  pounds  of  lead. 

On  the  view  which  has  now  been  taken  of  the  Missouri  mines,  it  may 
be  proper  here  to  remark  — 

1.  That  the  ores  of  these  mines  are  of  the  richest  and  purest  kind,  and 
that  they  exist  in  such  bodies  as  not  only  to  supply  all  lead  for  domestic 
consumption,  but  also,  if  the  purposes  of  trade  require  it,  are  capable  of 
supplying  large  quantities  for  exportation. 

2.  That  although  at  different  periods  the  amount  of  lead  manufactured 
has  been  considerable,  yet  this  produce  has  been  subject  to  perpetual 
variation,  and,  upon  the  whole,  has  fallen,  in  the  aggregate,  far  short  of 
the  amount  the  mines  are  capable  of  producing.  To  make  these  mines 
produce  the  greatest  possible  quantity  of  lead  of  which  they  are  capable, 
with  the  least  possible  expense,  is  a  consideration  of  the  first  political 
consequence,  to  which  end  it  is  desirable  that  the  reserved  mines  be  dis- 
posed of,  to  individuals,  or  that  the  term  for  which  leases  are  granted  be 
extended  from  three  to  fifteen  years,  which  will  induce  capitalists,  who 
are  now  deterred  by  the  illiberality  of  governmental  terms,  to  embark  in 
mining.  That  there  be  laid  a  governmental  duty  of  two  and  a  half  cents 
per  pound  on  all  imported  pig  and  bar  lead,  which  will  exclude  foreign 
lead  from  our  markets,  and  afford  a  desired  relief  to  the  domestic  manu- 
facturer. The  present  duty  is  one  cent  per  pound.  But  this  does  not 
prevent  a  foreign  competition  ;  and  the  smelters  call  for,  and  appear  to 
be  entitled  to,  further  protection. 

3.  That  although  the  processes  of  mining  now  pursued  are  superior  to 
what  they  were  under  the  Spanish  government,  yet  there  is  a  very  mani- 
fest want  of  skill,  system,  and  economy,  in  the  raising  of  ores,  and  the 
smelting  of  lead.  The  furnaces  in  use  are  liable  to  several  objections. 
They  are  defective  in  the  plan,  they  are  constructed  of  improper  mate- 
rials, and  the  workmanship  is  of  the  rudest  kind.  Hence,  not  near  the 
quantity  of  metallic  lead  is  extracted  from  the  ore  which  it  is  capable, 
without  an  increase  of  expense,  of  yielding.  There  is  a  great  waste 
created  by  smelting  ore  in  the  common  log  furnace,  in  which  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  lead  is  volatilized,  forming  the  sublimated  matter  which 
adheres  in  such  bodies  to  the  sides  of  the  log  furnaces,  and  is  thrown  by 
as  useless.  This  can  be  prevented  by  an  improvement  in  its  construction. 
To  pursue  mining  with  profit,  it  is  necessary  to  pursue  it  with  economy ; 
and  true  economy  is,  to  build  the  best  of  furnaces,  with  the  best  of  mate- 
rials. At  present  the  furnaces  are  constructed  of  common  limestone, 
which  soon  burns  into  quicklime,  and  the  work  requires  rebuilding  from 
the  foundation.     Not  only  so,  but  the  frequency  with  which  they  require 


196  APPENDIX. 

to  be  renewed,  begets  a  carelessness  in  those  who  build  them,  and  the 
work  is  accordingly  put  up  in  the  most  ordinary  and  unworkmanlike 
manner.  Instead  of  limestone,  the  furnaces  ought  to  be  constructed  of 
good  refractory  sandstone,  or  apyrous  clay,  in  the  form  of  bricks,  which 
will  resist  the  action  of  heat  for  a  great  length  of  time.  Both  these  sub- 
stances are  the  production  of  that  country,  and  specimens  of  them  are 
now  in  my  possession. 

4.  From  the  information  afforded,  it  has  been  seen  that  the  mines  are 
situated  in  a  country  which  affords  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  rich- 
est farming-lands,  producing  corn,  rye,  wheat,  tobacco,  hemp,  flax,  oats, 
&c,  in  the  greatest  abundance,  and  that  no  country  is  better  adapted  for 
raising  cattle,  horses,  hogs,  and  sheep.  The  country  is  well  watered, 
and  with  the  purest  of  water ;  the  climate  is  mild  and  pleasant,  the  air 
dry  and  serene,  and  the  region  is  healthy  in  an  unusual  degree.  Every 
facility  is  also  afforded  by  its  streams  for  erecting  works  for  the  manu- 
facture of  white  and  red  lead,  massicot,  litharge,  shot,  sheet-lead,  mineral 
yellow,  and  the  other  manufactures  dependent  upon  lead.  The  country 
also  abounds  with  various  useful  minerals  besides  lead,  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  increase  its  wealth  and  importance.  It  is  particularly  abundant 
in  iron,  zinc,  manganese,  sulphur,  salt,  coal,  chalk,  and  ochre. 

5.  That  a  systematic  organization  of  the  mining  interest  would  have  a 
tendency  to  promote  the  public  welfare.  To  this  end,  there  should  be 
appointed  an  officer  for  the  inspection  and  superintendence  of  mines. 
He  should  reside  in  the  mine  country,  and  report  annually  to  the  proper 
governmental  department  on  the  state  of  the  mines,  improvements,  &c. 
His  duty  should  consist  in  part  of  the  following  items,  viz. : 

a.  To  lease  out  public  mines,  and  receive  and  account  for  rents. 

b.  To  prevent  the  waste  and  destruction  of  wood  on  the  public  lands. 

c.  To  see  that  no  mines  were  wrought  without  authority. 

d.  To  keep  the  government  informed,  periodically,  of  the  quantity  of 

lead  made  at  the  different  mines,  and  of  new  discoveries  of  lead,  or 
any  other  useful  minerals  ;  and, 

e.  To  explore,  practically,  the  mineralogy  of  the  country,  in  order  fully 

to  develope  its  mineral  character  and  importance.  Connected  with 
these  duties,  should  be  the  collection  of  mineralogical  specimens  for 
a  national  cabinet  of  natural  history  at  AVashington. 

The  superintendent  of  mines  should  be  a  practical  mineralogist,  and 
such  a  salary  attached  to  the  office  as  to  induce  a  man  of  respectable 
talents  and  scientific  acquirements  to  accept  the  appointment.  To  allow 
the  manufacturers  of  lead  every  advantage  consistent  with  the  public 
interest,  the  rent  charged  on  mines  should  not  exceed  two  and  a  half 
per  cent,  on  the  quantity  manufactured,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  pro- 
posed governmental  duty  on  imported  lead,  whereby  the  revenue  would 


PRODUCT  OF  THE  MINES.  197 

not  only  be  kept  up,  but  might  be  considerably  enhanced.  The  fore- 
going details  exhibit  an  annual  produce  of  3,726,666  pounds  of  lead, 
which,  it  is  presumable,  may  be  half  the  quantity  the  mines  are  capable 
of  producing,  with  proper  management.  But,  estimating  the  lead  at 
four  cents  per  pound,  and  taking  that  as  the  average  quantity,  the  annual 
rents,  at  two  and  a  half  per  cent.,  will  create  a  revenue  of  thirty-two 
thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety  dollars. 

This  subject  is  believed  to  be  one  that  commends  itself  to  the  attention 
of  the  government,  which  has,  from  a  policy  early  introduced,  reserved 
the  mineral  lands  on  the  public  domain.  No  one  can  view  it  in  the 
light  of  these  facts,  without  perceiving  the  propriety  and  necessity  of  an 
efficient  organization  of  this  branch  of  the  public  interest. 


17 


MINERALOGY. 


/NA/VVVVNA^^VVNA^TWVS/VVVVV' 


A  CATALOGUE  OF  THE  MINERALS  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY. 

In  the  arrangement  of  this  catalogue,  the  order  introduced  in  Professor 
Cleveland's  mineralogical  tables,  has  been  chiefly  observed.  It  is  the  com- 
mencement of  an  investigation  into  the  physical  history,  character,  and 
mineral  resources  of  the  West,  which  it  will  become  the  duty  of  future 
observers  to  continue  and  perfect.  The  field  is  an  extensive  one,  and 
invites  attention.  The  order  and  beauty  that  are  observed  in  this  branch 
of  natural  history,  afford  as  striking  proofs  as  any  of  the  other  depart- 
ments of  it,  of  that  design  which,  in  so  remarkable  a  manner,  pervades 
the  organization  of  the  various  classes  of  bodies,  animate  and  inanimate, 
on  the  surface  of  the  globe.  So  far  as  respects  mineralogy,  its  species 
and  varieties  have  not  all  been  seen,  in  crystallized  forms,  agreeably  to 
our  imperfect  state  of  microscopical  knowledge  ;  but  as  far  as  the  species 
have  been  brought  within  observation,  in  the  classes  of  crystals  and  crys- 
tallized ores,  they  rival,  in  their  colors  and  exact  geometrical  forms,  other 
systems  of  bodies. 

In  revising  the  list,  those  specimens  are  dropped,  respecting  which 
further  reflection  or  examination  has  shown,  either  that  the  early  descrip- 
tions were  imperfect,  or  that  the  quantity  of  the  mineral  was  deficient. 

I.  Alkaline  and  Earthy  Salts. 

1.  Nitrate  of  potash Nitre. 

2.  Muriate  of  soda Salt. 

3.  Sulphate  of  barytes Heavy  spar. 

4.  Carbonate  of  lime Calc.  spar. 

a.  Rhombic  crystals. 

b.  Concrete  forms. 

5.  Fluate  of  lime Fluor  spar. 

6.  Sulphate  of  lime Gypsum. 

7.  Sulphate  of  magnesia Magnesia. 

8.  Sulphate  of  alumine  and  potash.  Alum. 

(198) 


MINERALS    OP   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  199 

II.  Earthy  Compounds  and  Stones. 


9. 

Quartz. 

a.  Hexagonal  crystals. 

h.  Red  ferruginous 

quartz 

b.  Eadiated. 

i.    Tabular 

i< 

c.    Chalcedony. 

j.    Granular 

M 

d.  Agatized  wood. 

k.  Hoary 

It 

e.   Agate. 

I.    Carnelian. 

f.   Jasper. 

m.  Buhrstone. 

g.  Hornstone. 

n.  Opalized  wood. 

10. 

Pumice. 

11. 

Mica. 

12. 

Feldspar. 

13. 

Hornblende. 

14. 

Greenstone  porphyry. 

15. 

Clay. 

a.  Native  alumine.          c.   '. 

Reddle.         b.  Indurated  cla 

16. 

Basanite. 

17. 

Indian  pipestone. 

Opwagonite. 

18. 

Schoerl. 

19. 

Novaculite. 

III.  Combustibles. 

20.  Sulphur. 

a.  Crystallized 

1. 

b.  Concrete. 

21.  Graphite. 

22.  Coal. 

a.  Slaty-bituminous. 

b.  Wood-coal. 

Bituminous  shale. 

IV.  Metals. 

23.  Native  copper. 

24.  Iron. 

25.  Sulphuret  of  iron. 

26.  Iron  glance. 

27.  Micaceous  oxide  of  iron. 

28.  Brown  oxide  of  iron. 

29.  Ironstone. 

30.  Argillaceous  oxide  of  iron. 

31.  Ochrey  oxide  of  iron. 

32.  Sulphuret  of  lead. 

a.  Common  galena. 

b.  Specular. 

c.  Granular. 

d.  Cobaltic. 


200  APPENDIX. 

33.  Carbonate  of  lead. 

34.  Earthy  oxide  of  lead. 

35.  Sulphuret  of  zinc. 

36.  Sulphuret  of  manganese. 

First  Class. 

1.  Nitre — Saltpetre.  This  salt,  in  its  efflorescent  state,  exists  exten- 
sively in  the  limestone  caves  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  It  also  impregnates 
the  masses  of  earth  found  in  these  recesses.  This  earth  is  lixiviated  with 
wood-ashes,  which  allows  the  nitre  to  take  a  crystalline  form.  I  visited 
a  large  cavern,  about  eighty  miles  south-west  of  Potosi,  where  this  salt 
was  manufactured,  and  observed  its  efflorescences  in  other  caves  in  the 
Ozark  range. 

2.  Muriate  of  Soda.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  bushels 
of  common  salt  are  annually  made  from  the  United  States'  saline  on  Salt 
river,  in  Illinois.  It  appears,  from  the  remains  of  antique  broken  vessels 
found  in  that  locality,  to  have  been  manufactured  there  by  the  ancient 
inhabitants.  There  is  a  saline,  which  has  been  profitably  worked,  on 
Saline  creek,  in  St.  Genevieve  county.  Two  salt  springs  are  worked,  in 
a  small  way,  in  Jefferson  county,  Mo.  The  springs  in  Arkansas  are 
reported  to  be  extensive,  and  rumors  of  rock-salt  on  its  plains  have  been 
rife,  since  the  purchase  of  Louisiana.  The  hunters  whom  I  met  in  the 
Ozark  range,  invariably  affirmed  its  existence,  in  crystalline  solid  masses, 
in  that  quarter ;  from  which  also,  it  is  to  be  recollected,  De  Soto's  scouts  ♦ 
brought  it,  in  1542. 

3.  Sulphate  of  Barytes — Heavy  Spar.  This  mineral  is  found,  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  at  the  principal  lead-mines  of  Missouri,  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  It  presents  its  usual  characters — it  is  heavy,  white,  shining, 
opaque,  and  easily  fractured.  It  is  sometimes  found  crested,  columnar, 
prismatic,  or  in  tabular  crystallizations.  Its  surface  is  frequently  covered 
by  a  yellowish,  ochrey  earth,  or  ferruginous  oxide.  It  sometimes  exists 
as  the  matrix  of  the  sulphuret  of  lead  —  more  frequently,  as  one  of  its 
accompanying  minerals. 

4.  Carbonate  of  Lime. 

a.  Calc.  Spar.  This  form  of  the  carbonate  of  lime  is  common  in  the 
lead-mine  regions  of  Missouri.  At  Hazel  run,  it  constitutes,  to  some 
extent,  the  gangue  of  the  lead-ores.  It  is  generally  imbedded  in  lumps 
in  the  red  clay  mineral  soil.  These  lumps  are  round,  externally ;  but, 
on  being  broken,  reveal  a  rhomboidal  structure,  and  are  beautifully 
transparent. 

b.  Stalactites.  This  form  of  the  carbonate  of  lime  is  found  in  a  cave 
on  the  head-waters  of  Currents  river,  in  Missouri.  The  stalactites  are 
found  in  concretions  resembling  icicles  hanging  from  the  roof,  or  in 


MINERALS    OP   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  201 

columns  reaching  to  the  floor.  The  specimens  are  translucent.  Stalac- 
tites are  also  found  in  a  very  large  cave  (Winoca)  on  Findley's  fork,  one 
of  the  tributaries  of  White  river,  Arkansas.  They  form  two  large  vases 
in  this  cave,  -which  are  filled  with  the  most  crystalline  water. 

c.  Stalagmite  (Calcareous  Alabaster).  The  cave  which  has  just  been 
mentioned  on  Findley's  fork,  affords  this  mineral  in  small,  solid  globules, 
which  strew  the  floor  of  the  cave. 

5.  Fluor  Spar.  The  elevated  lands  on  the  west  banks  of  the  Ohio, 
near  the  picturesque  shores  of  Cave-in-Rock,  in  Illinois,  disclose  this 
mineral.  It  exhibits  its  well-known  character.  It  is  generally  of  a  pur- 
ple, or  amethystine  hue,  and  crystallized,  as  its  primary  form,  in  cubes. 
Externally,  these  crystals  are  dull.  Its  association  here  is  with  the  ores 
of  lead,  which  have  been  extensively  searched  for  in  former  times.  It  is 
plentifully  found,  sometimes  in  large  crystals,  which  have  an  external 
appearance  as  if  they  had  been  subjected  to  the  influence  of  turbid  water. 
It  has  been  thus  far,  chiefly,  explored  in  the  diluvial  stratum. 

6.  Gypsum.  Foliated  masses  of  this  mineral  occur  in  the  river  cliffs  in 
St.  Clair  county,  Illinois.  It  is  found  in  large  quantities  near  the  salines 
in  Upper  Arkansas.  Dr.  Sihley,  speaking  of  the  formation  in  that  vici- 
nity, says:  "It  is  a  tract  of  about  seventy-five  miles  square,  in  which 
nature  has  arranged  a  variety  of  the  most  strange  and  whimsical  vaga- 
ries. It  is  an  assemblage  of  beautiful  meadows,  verdant  ridges,  and 
rude  misshapen  piles  of  red  clay,  thrown  together  in  the  utmost  apparent 
confusion,  yet  affording  the  most  pleasing  harmonies,  and  presenting  in 
every  direction  an  endless  variety  of  curious  and  interesting  objects. 
After  winding  along  for  a  few  miles  on  the  high  ridges,  you  suddenly 
descend  an  almost  perpendicular  declivity  of  rocks  and  clay,  into  a  series 
of  level  and  fertile  meadows,  watered  by  some  beautiful  rivulets,  and 
adorned  here  and  there  with  shrubby  cotton  trees,  elms,  and  cedars. 
These  meadows  are  divided  by  chains  formed  of  red  clay,  and  huge 
masses  of  gypsum,  with  here  and  there  a  pyramid  of  gravel.  One  might 
imagine  himself  surrounded  by  the  ruins  of  some  ancient  city,  and  that 
the  plain  had  sunk  by  some  convulsion  of  nature  more  than  one  hundred 
feet  below  its  former  level ;  for  some  of  the  huge  columns  of  red  clay  rise 
to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet  perpendicular,  capped  with  rocks  of 
gypsum,  which  the  hand  of  time  is  ever  crumbling  off,  and  strewing  in 
beautiful  transparent  flakes,  along  the  declivities  of  the  hill,  glittering 
like  so  many  mirrors  in  the  sun." 

7.  Sulphate  of  Magnesia.  A  large  and  curious  cavern  has  been  dis- 
covered in  the  calcareous  rocks  at  Corydon,  near  the  seat  of  government 
of  Indiana,  which  is  found  to  yield  very  beautiful  white  crystals  of  this 
mineral.  To  what  extent  these  appearances  exist,  is  unknown;  but  the 
cavern  invites  exploration. 


202  APPENDIX. 

8.  Alum.  Efflorescences  of  the  sulphate  of  alumina  exist  in  a  calca- 
reous cavern  in  the  elevated  ranges  of  Bellevieu,  in  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington, Mo.     No  practical  use  is  made  of  it. 

9.  Quartz.  This  important  family  of  mineral  bodies  exists,  in  many 
of  its  forms,  on  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  They  will  be  noticed 
under  their  appropriate  names. 

a.  Granular  Quartz.  There  is  a  very  large  body  of  this  mineral  about 
eight  miles  west  of  St.  Genevieve,  near  the  Potosi  road.  It  is  known  as  the 
site  of  a  remarkable  cave.  The  sides,  roof,  and  floor  of  the  cave,  consist 
of  the  most  pure  and  white  granular  quartz.  It  is  quite  friable  between 
the  fingers,  and  falls  into  a  singularly  transparent  and  beautiful  sand. 
Each  of  these  grains,  when  examined  by  the  microscope,  is  found  to  be  a 
transparent  molecule  of  pure  quartz.  It  possesses  no  definable  tint  of 
color,  is  not  acted  upon  by  either  nitric  or  muriatic  acids,  and  appears  to 
be  an  aggregation  of  minute  crystals  of  quartz.  It  occurs  in  several 
caves  near  the  road,  whose  sides  are  entirely  composed  of  it ;  and  its 
snowy  hue,  and  granular  structure,  give  it  the  appearance  of  refined 
sugar.  It  appears  to  me  to  be  composed  of  silex  nearly  or  quite  pure, 
and  possesses,  as  I  find  on  treatment  with  potash,  the  property  of  easy 
fusibility.  Could  the  necessary  alkali  and  apyrous  clays  be  conveniently 
had  at  this  spot,  I  cannot  conceive  a  more  advantageous  place  for  a 
manufactory  of  crystal  glass. 

b.  Radiated  Quartz.  This  mineral  is  found  in  great  abundance  at  the 
Missouri  lead-mines,  where  it  bears  the  striking  name  of  mineral  blossom, 
or  blossom  of  lead  —  an  opinion  being  entertained  that  it  indicates  the 
presence  or  contiguity  of  lead-ore.  Examined  with  care,  it  is  found  to 
consist  of  small  crystals  of  quartz,  disposed  in  radii,  which  resemble  the 
petals  of  a  flower.  These  crystals  are  superimposed  on  a  basis  consisting 
of  thin  lines,  or  tabular  layers,  of  agate.  It  is  found  either  strewn  on 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  imbedded  in  it,  or  existing  in  cavities  in  the 
limestone  rock. 

c.  Chalcedony.  This  species  is  brought  down  the  Mississippi  or  Mis- 
souri, and  deposited  in  small  fragments  along  the  Missouri  shore.  It  also 
constitutes  the  principal  layers  in  the  thin  tabular,  or  mamillary  masses, 
which  constitute  the  basis  of  the  radiated  quartz.  Most  commonly,  it  is 
bluish-white,  or  milk-white. 

d.  Agalized  Wood.  Fragments  of  this  mineral  are  brought  down  the 
Missouri,  and  deposited,  in  occasional  pieces,  along  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi. 

e.  Hornstone —  Chert.  This  substance  appears  to  have  been  imbedded 
extensively  in  the  calcareous  strata  of  the  Mississippi  valley ;  for  it  is 
scattered,  as  an  ingredient,  in  its  diluvions.  Frequently  it  is  in  chips,  or 
fragments,  all  of  which  indicate  a  smooth  conchoidal  fracture.  Sometimes 
it  consists  of  parts  of  nodules.     Sometimes  it  is  still  solidly  imbedded  in 


MINERALS    OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  203 

the  rock,  or  consolidated  strata,  as  on  the  coast  below  Cape  Girardeau, 
Mo.  Indeed,  so  far  as  observation  goes,  it  characterizes  all  the  district 
of  country  between  the  western  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  the 
great  prairies  and  sand  deserts  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  Its 
color  is  generally  brown,  with  different  shades  of  yellow,  black,  blue,  or 
red.  It  appears  nearly  allied  to  flint,  into  which  it  is  sometimes  seen 
passing.  It  runs  also  into  varieties  of  jasper,  chalcedony,  and  common 
quartz;  and  the  different  gradations  from  well-characterized  hornstone, 
until  its  distinctive  characters  are  lost  in  other  sub-species  of  quartz,  may 
be  distinctly  marked.  The  barbs  for  Indian  arrows,  frequently  found  in 
this  region,  appear  to  have  been  chiefly  made  of  hornstone. 

f.  Jasper.  This  mineral  also  appears  to  have  been  imbedded  in  the 
silico-calcareous  rocks  of  the  western  valley ;  and  it  is  found,  in  the  frag- 
mentary form,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  also  on  its  plains 
below  the  Rocky  mountains.  The  fine  yellow  egg-shaped  pebbles  of 
White  river,  are  common  jasper.  Several  specimens,  picked  up  in  a 
desultory  journey,  possess  striking  beauty.  The  first  is  a  uniform  bottle- 
green,  very  hard,  and  susceptible  of  a  high  polish.  The  second  is  the 
fragment  of  a  nodular  mass,  consisting  of  alternate  concentric  stripes  of 
green,  brown,  and  yellow;  the  colors  passing  by  imperceptible  shades 
into  each  other.  A  specimen  found  in  Potosi  consists  of  alternate  stripes 
of  rose  and  flesh  red. 

g.  Agate.  This  mineral  is  picked  up,  in  a  fragmentary  form,  along 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  Its  original  repository  appears  to  have 
been  the  volcanic  and  amygdaloidal  rocks  about  its  sources,  which  have 
been  extensively  broken  down  by  geological  mutations,  during  ante-his- 
torical periods.  The  fragments  are  often  beautifully  transparent,  some- 
times zoned  or  striped.  Sometimes  they  are  arranged  in  angles,  present- 
ing the  fortification-agate.  The  colors  are  various  shades  of  white  and 
red,  the  latter  being  layers  of  carnelian.  All  the  pieces  found  in  this 
dispersed  state  are  harder  than  the  imbedded  species,  and  are  with  diffi- 
culty cut  by  the  lapidary. 

h.  Opal.  A  single  specimen  of  this  mineral,  from  the  right  banks  of 
the  Ohio,  near  Cave-in-Rock,  Illinois,  is  of  a  delicate  bluish-white,  and 
opalesces  on  being  held  to  the  light.  It  is  not  acted  on  by  acids.  This 
locality  is  remarkable  as  yielding  galena,  heavy  spar,  blende,  calcareous 
spar,  fluor  spar,  pyrites,  coal,  and  salt.  It  belongs  to  the  great  secondary 
limestone  formation  of  the  Ohio  valley.  It  is  cavernous,  and  yields  some 
fossil  impressions. 

i.  Red  Ferruginous  Quartz.  This  occurs  as  one  of  the  imbedded  mate 
rials  of  the  diluvion  of  the  Mississippi  valley. 

k.  Rock  Crystal-  Very  perfect  and  beautiful  crystals  of  this  mineral 
are  procured  near  the  Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas.  They  consist,  generally, 
of  six-sided  prisms,  terminated  by  six-sided  pyramids.     Some  of  these 


204  APPENDIX. 

are  so  perfectly  limpid,  that  -writing  can  be  read,  without  the  slightest 
obscurity,  through  the  parallel  faces  of  the  crystals. 

1.  Pseudomorplwus  Chalcedony.  Lake  Pepin,  Upper  Mississippi.  This 
appears  to  have  been  formed  by  deposition  on  cubical  crystals,  which 
have  disappeared. 

m.  Tabular  Quartz.  West  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  Missouri.  Of  a 
■white  color,  semi-transparent.  The  plates  are  single,  and  the  lines 
perfectly  parallel. 

n.  Hoary  Quartz.  West  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  Mo.  The  character 
of  hoariness  appears  to  be  imparted  by  very  minute  crystals,  or  concre- 
tions of  quartz,  on  the  surface  of  radiated  quartz. 

o.  Common  Quartz.  This  mineral  is  found  in  veins  of  from  one  to 
eight  or  ten  feet  wide,  in  the  argillaceous  rock  formation  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Hot  Springs  of  Washita.  It  is  also  seen,  in  very  large  detached 
masses,  on  the  south  bank  of  White  river.  The  character  of  these  rocks 
will  not  be  recognized  on  a  superficial  view ;  for  they  have  a  gray,  time- 
worn  appearance,  and  are  so  much  covered  by  moss,  that  it  was  not  until 
I  had  broken  off  a  fragment  with  a  hammer,  that  I  discovered  them  to  be 
white  quartz.  Pebbles  of  quartz,  either  white  or  variously  colored  by 
iron,  are  common  on  the  shores  of  White  river,  and,  joined  to  the  purity 
and  transparency  of  the  waters,  add  greatly  to  the  pleasure  of  a  voyage 
on  that  beautiful  stream. 

p.  Buhrstone.  Raccoon  creek,  Indiana.  This  bed  is  noted  throughout 
the  western  country,  and  affords  a  profitable  branch  of  manufacture.  It 
covers  an  area  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  acres  square.  Its  texture  is  vesicu- 
lar, yet  it  is  sufficiently  compact  to  admit  of  being  quarried  with  advan- 
tage, and  the  stones  are  applied  to  the  purposes  of  milling  with  the  best 
success. 

q.  Sedimentary  Quartz—  Sclwolcraftite.  This  mineral  occurs  three  miles 
from  the  Hot  Springs  of  Washita.  It  is  of  a  grayish-white  color,  partak- 
ing a  little  of  green,  yellow,  or  red  ;  translucent  in  an  uncommon  degree, 
with  an  uneven  and  moderately  glimmering  fracture,  and  susceptible  of 
being  scratched  with  a  knife.  Oil  stones  for  the  purpose  of  honing 
knives,  razors,  or  tools,  are  occasionally  procured  from  this  place,  and 
considerable  quantities  have  been  lately  taken  to  New  Orleans.  It  gives 
a  fine  edge,  and  is  considered  equal  to  the  Turkish  oil-stone.  It  appears 
to  me,  from  external  character  and  preliminary  tests,  to  consist  almost 
entirely  of  silex,  with  a  little  oxide  of  iron.  Its  compactness,  superior 
softness,  specific  gravity,  and  coloring  matter,  distinguish  it  from  silicioua 
sinter.  It  has  been  improperly  termed,  heretofore,  "novaculite."  It 
contains  no  alumine.  It  sometimes  reveals  partial  conditions,  or  spots, 
of  a  degree  of  hardness  nearly  equal  to  common  quartz. 

r.  Carnelian.  Banks  of  the  Mississippi,  above  the  junction  of  the 
Ohio.  Traces  of  this  mineral  begin  to  be  found,  as  soon  as  the  heavy 
alluvial  lands  are  passed.     It  is  among  the  finest  detritus  of  the  minerals 


MINERALS   OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI   VALLEY.  205 

of  the  quartz  family,  brought  down  from  upper  plains.  The  fragments, 
in  these  lower  positions,  are  small,  transparent,  and  hard,  colored  red  or 
yellowish. 

s.  Basanite  —  Touchstone.  This  mineral  is  found  in  the  Mississippi 
detritus  ;  but  no  fixed  locality  has  been  ascertained. 

10.  Pumice.  The  light,  vesicular  substance,  found  floating  down  the 
Missouri  and  Mississippi,  is  not,  properly  speaking,  a  true  pumice,  capa- 
ble of  the  applications  of  that  article  in  the  arts ;  but  it  cannot  be  classi- 
fied with  any  other  species.  It  is  more  properly  a  pseudo-pumice,  arising 
from  partial  volcanic  action  on  the  formations  of  some  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Missouri,  which  originate  in  the  Rocky  mountains.  It  is  brought 
down  by  the  June  flood,  sometimes  in  large  masses,  which,  as  the  waters 
abate,  are  left  on  the  islands  or  shores.  It  is  incompletely  vitrified,  consist- 
ing of  spongy  globules.  The  masses  are  irregularly  colored,  agreeably 
to  the  vitrified  materials,  red,  black  or  brown.  Its  tenacity  is  very 
great. 

30.  Mica.  In  the  granitical,  or  primitive  district,  at  the  sources  of  the 
St.  Francis.  The  great  body  of  these  rocks  is  a  sienite,  or  sienitic  gra- 
nite, or  greenstone.  Like  the  northern  granitical  tracts,  the  mica  is 
generally  replaced  by  hornblende.     The  folia,  usually,  are  small. 

31.  Feldspar.  .With  the  preceding.  The  great  bulk  of  these  grani- 
tical formations  consists' of  red  feldspar.  Where  the  greenstone  becomes 
porphyritic,  the  feldspar  is  a  light  green. 

32.  Hornblende.  With  the  preceding.  This  mineral  assumes  its 
crystalline  form,  in  large  areas  of  the  sienite  rock.  With  the  two  pre- 
ceding minerals,  mica  and  feldspar,  and  common  quartz,  it  constitutes 
the  mountain  peaks  of  that  remarkable  district.  It  is  the  only  locality, 
except  the  Washita  hills,  where  these  formations  rise  to  an  elevation 
above  the  great  metalliferous,  sandstone,  and  carbonaceous  deposits  of 
the  central  area  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  south  of  the  Sauk  rapids,  above 
St.  Anthony's  falls,  and  the  head-waters  of  the  St.  Peter's,  or  Minnesota 
river.  The  latter  constitute  the  northern  limits  of  the  great  horizontal, 
sedimentary,  semi-crystallized  rocks  west  of  the  Alleghanies. 

33.  Greenstone  Porphyry.     With  the  preceding. 

34.  Puddingstone.  In  the  tongue  of  land  formed  by  the  junction  of 
the  Ohio  with  the  Mississippi,  directly  beneath  the  alluvial  lands  at  the 
old  site  of  fort  Massac,  and  at  the  village  called  "America."  Also,  in 
large,  broken  blocks,  along  the  west  shores  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the 
"  chalk  banks,"  so  called,  in  Cape  Girardeau  county,  and  at  Cape  Garlic, 
on  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 

18 


206  APPENDIX. 

33.  Native  Alumine— White,  friable,  pure  Clay.  At  the  head  of 
Tiawapeta  bottom,  Little  Chain  of  Rocks,  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
Cape  Girardeau  county,  Missouri.  This  remarkable  body  of  white  earth 
is  locally  denominated  chalk,  and  was  thus  called  in  the  first  edition  of 
this  catalogue.  It  is  employed  as  a  substitute  for  chalk,  but  is  found  to 
contain  no  carbonic  acid,  and  is  destitute  of  a  particle  of  calcia.  It 
appears,  from  Mr.  Jessup,*  to  be  nearly  pure  alumine.  The  traveller,  on 
ascending  the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  passes  through  a 
country  of  alluvial  formation,  a  distance  of  thirty-five  miles.  Here  the 
first  high  land  presents  itself  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  in  a  mode- 
rately elevated  ridge,  running  from  south-east  to  north-west,  and  termi- 
nating abruptly  in  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  here  runs  nearly  at  right 
angles  with  the  ridge,  and  has  been  worn  away  by  the  action  of  the  water. 
This  ridge  consists  of  secondary  limestone,  overlying  a  coarse  reddish 
sandstone,  which,  at  the  lowest  stage  of  the  water  in  summer,  is  seen  in 
huge  misshapen  fragments,  at  the  immediate  edge  of  the  water,  and  at 
intervals  nearly  half  way  across  the  river,  as  well  as  on  the  Illinois  shore. 
The  mineral  occurs  in  mass,  abundantly.  It  is  nearly  dry,  of  a  perfectly 
white  color,  and  chalky  friability.  It  embraces  masses  of  hornstone, 
resembling  flint.  It  also  occurs  at  a  higher  point  on  the  same  shore,  two 
miles  below  the  Grand  Tower. 

34.  Plastic  "White  Clat.     Gray's  mine,  Jefferson  county,  Mo. 

35.  OpwAGUNiTEf — Geogxostic  Red  Clay.  Prairie  des  Couteau,  be- 
tween the  sources  of  the  St.  Peter's  river  and  the  Missouri.  It  exists  in 
lamellar  masses,  beneath  secondary  masses.  It  is  of  a  dull  red  color,  is 
soft,  compact,  easily  cut,  and  is  a  material  much  employed  and  valued 
by  the  Indians  for  carving  pipes,  and  sometimes  neck  ornaments.  Occa- 
sionally it  has  brighter  spots  of  pale  red.  It  is  also  found  on  the  Red 
Cedar,  or  Folle  Avoine  branch  of  Chippewa  river,  Wisconsin,  of  a  darker 
color,  approaching  to  that  of  chocolate.  It  is  polished  by  the  Indians 
with  rushes. 

III.  Combustibles. 

36.  Sulphur.  In  flocculent  white  deposits,  in  a  spring,  Jefferson 
county,  Missouri. 

37.  Mineral  Coal.  Bituminous,  slaty  coal,  constitutes  a  very  large 
geological  basin  in  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  valleys,  where  it  appears  to 
have  resulted  from  the  burial  of  ancient  forests.  At  Pittsburgh,  I  found 
it  composing  thick  strata  in  elevated  grounds,  on  the  south  banks  of  the 

*  Long's  Expedition. 

|  From  "opwagun,"  (Algonquin)  a  pipe;  and  "lithos,"  (Gr.)  a  stone. 


MINERALS    OP   THE    MISSISSIPPI    VALLEY.  207 

Monongahela  river.  In  an  excursion  up  that  stream,  it  characterizes  it3 
banks  at  intervals  for  forty  miles.  It  inflames  easily,  burns  with  a  pitchy 
smoke  and  bituminous  smell,  and  throws  out  a  great  heat.  It  occurs  in 
veins  in  limestone,  along  with  argillaceous  slate,  indurated  clay,  red 
sandstone,  and  bituminous  shale,  which  are  arranged  in  alternate  strata, 
one  above  the  other,  preserving  an  exact  parallelism  with  the  waters 
of  the  Alleghany,  Monongahela,  and  Ohio  rivers.  The  coal  always  con- 
stitutes a  vein  between  the  shale  and  clay  which  are  found  immediately 
above  and  below  it.  The  clay  appears  to  have  originated  from  the  de- 
composition of  shale ;  for  it  may  be  observed  in  all  stages  of  the  decom- 
position, from  a  well-characterized  argillaceous  slate,  to  plastic  clay. 

The  veins  of  coal  are  from  a  foot  to  nine  feet  in  thickness,  aud  the 
strata  of  coal,  shale,  limestone,  &c,  are  repeated  ;  so  that  the  sides  of  the 
hills  which  afford  coal,  exhibit  several  strata,  with  the  rock  intervening, 
one  above  another.  The  greatest  distance,  in  a  perpendicular  direction, 
from  one  stratum  to  another,  is  perhaps  one  hundred  feet ;  and  such  is 
the  regularity  of  the  coal  formation  in  this  region,  that  the  description 
of  one  pit,  or  bed,  will  apply  almost  equally  to  any  other  within  a  circuit 
of  two  hundred  miles,  every  section  of  which  is  characterized  by  coal. 
Sometimes  pyrites  of  a  tin-white  color  are  found  mixed  among  the  coal. 
In  Missouri,  it  occurs  at  Florrisant 

38.  Graphite — Plumbago.  Twelve  miles  south  of  Potosi,  Washington 
county,  Mo.,  in  a  large  body. 

39.    SlTLPHCRET    OF    LEAD. 

a.  Galena.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  formations  of  this  ore  in 
America,  if  not  in  the  world,  is  furnished  by  the  metalliferous  limestones 
of  the  Mississippi.  Of  these,  Missouri  furnishes  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated localities.  These  mines  were  first  explored  by  the  renowned 
Mississippi  Company,  in  1719,  and  have  continued  to  be  worked  during 
the  successive  changes  which  it  has  experienced  under  the  French,  Spa- 
nish, aud  Americans,  to  the  present  period.  The  number  of  mines  now 
wrought  is  about  fifty,  and  the  quantity  of  lead  annually  smelted  is  esti- 
mated at  three  millions  of  pounds.  The  ore  is  the  common  galena,  with 
a  broad  glittering  grain,  and  bluish-gray  color,  and  is  found  accompanied 
by  sulphate  of  barytes,  blende,  pyrites,  quartz,  and  calcareous  spar.  It 
yields,  on  assay,  eighty-two  per  cent,  of  metallic  lead,  the  remainder  being 
chiefly  sulphur.     (Vide  "View  of  the  Lead-Mines.") 

b.  Granular  Sulpliuret  of  Lead.  Mine  La  Motte,  Madison  county, 
Missouri. 

c.  Cobalt  ic  Sulpliuret  of  Lead.     With  the  preceding. 

40.  Oxide  of  Lead.     Earthy,  yellow.     Wythe  county,  Virginia. 


208  APPENDIX. 

41.  Carbonate  of  Lead.  Lead-mines  of  Missouri.  It  occurs  in  some 
of  the  mines  as  a  crust,  or  thin  layer,  on  ores  of  galena. 

42.  Sitli'huret  or  Zinc.  In  the  form  of  black  blende.  Lead-mines 
of  Missouri. 

43.  Oxide  or  Zinc.  Earthy,  grayish-white.  In  the  mineral  called 
"  dry-bone."     Missouri  lead-mines. 

44.  Iron. 

a.  Iron  Glance.  In  the  Iron  Mountain  and  Pilot  Knob,  on  the  sources 
of  the  river  St.  Francis,  Missouri.  It  occurs  in  vast  masses,  granular, 
and  sometimes  specular,  without  irridescence.  Also,  on  White  river, 
Arkansas. 

b.  Micaceous  Oxide  of  Iron.  Sources  of  the  St.  Francis  river,  Missouri. 
A  vein  of  this  ore,  several  feet  wide,  is  found  in  red  sienite,  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  St.  Francis,  at  the  Narrows,  Madison  county,  Missouri  Terri- 
tory. Its  unusual  appearance  has  for  several  years  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  four  miles  south  of  the  extensive 
lead-mines  of  La  Motte,  and  in  the  centre  of  a  highly  interesting  geolo- 
gical and  mineralogical  section  of  country.  The  rocks  at  that  place  are 
the  old  red  granite  and  sienite,  in  mountain  masses,  with  veins  of  green- 
stone, greenstone  porphyry,  and  gneiss. 

c.  Red  Oxide  of  Iron.     Flint  river,  Tennessee. 

d.  Brown  Haematite.  On  the  dividing  ridge  between  Strawberry  and 
Spring  rivers,  Arkansas. 

e.  Argillaceous  Oxide  of  Iron — Ironstone.  Banks  of  the  Monongahela, 
Pennsylvania. 

f.  Sulphuret  of  Iron.  Accompanying  the  ores  and  vein-stones  of  the 
Missouri  lead-mines. 

g.  Magnetic  Oxide  of  Iron.  Fifteen  miles  below  the  Hot  Springs,  on 
the  Washita  river,  Arkansas.     In  quantity. 

45.  Black  Oxide  of  Manganese.  On  Big  Sandy  river,  Kentucky. 
Also,  on  the  sources  of  the  Maramec  and  Spring  rivers,  Missouri,  accom- 
panied by  the  brown  oxide  of  iron. 

46.  Native  Copper.  Scattered  masses  of  this  metal  have  been  found 
on  Big  river,  and  also  in  a  shaft  sunk  near  Harrisonville,  Illinois.  No- 
thing, however,  is  known  in  America,  to  equal  the  vast  quantities  of  this 
metal  found  in  the  trap  veins  on  the  banks  of  lake  Superior. 

47.  Sulphate  of  Copper.  On  the  Washita  river,  fifteen  miles  below 
the  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas. 


CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS  AND  GEOLOGICAL 
SPECIMENS,  (CONTINUED.) 

October,  1819. 

1.  Sulphate  of  lime.     Arkansas. 

2.  Sulphuret  of  lead,  in  quartz.     Washington  county,  Mo. 

3.  Agate,  from  Persia.     Brought  by  Captain  Austin. 

4.  Serpentine.     Derby,  Conn. 

5.  Galena  upon  crystallized  quartz.     Missouri. 

6.  Limpid  quartz.     Hot  Springs,  Arkansas. 

7.  Striped  agate.     St.  Genevieve  county,  Mo. 

8.  Sienite.     Persia. 

9.  Silicious  breccia.     Illinois. 

10.  Sulphuret  of  lead.     Shangum  Mountain,  Ulster  county,  N.  Y. 

11.  Garnet,  in  micaceous  schistus.     Watertown,  Litchfield  county,  Conn. 

12.  Galena,  iron  pyrites,  &c,  in  quartz.     Northampton,  Mass. 

13.  Serpentine.     Derby,  Conn. 

14.  Red  granite.     River  St.  Francis,  Madison  county,  Missouri  Territory. 

15.  Red  oxide  of  zinc.     Sussex  county,  N.  J. 

16.  Metalliferous  limestone.     Missouri. 

17.  Agate.     Strawberry  river,  Arkansas  Territory. 

18.  Dolomite.     Stockbridge,  Mass. 

19.  Lamellar  galena.     Bryan's  mines,  St.  Genevieve  county,  Mo. 

20.  Shelblimestone.     Bermuda. 

21.  Arseniate  of  cobalt,  with  nickel,  in  actynolite.     Chatham,  Conn. 

22.  Galena  in  quartz.     Shangum  Mountain,  N.  Y. 

23.  Regulus  of  antimony. 

24.  Granular  argillaceous  oxide  of  iron  (pea  ore).     Staten  Island,  N.  Y. 

25.  Olivine.     Europe. 

26.  Indicolite  in  lamellar  feldspar.     Chesterfield,  Mass. 

27.  Brucite,  (Gibbs,)  silicious  rluate  of  magnesia,  in  transition  carbonate 

of  lime,  with  graphite.     Sussex  county,  N.  J. 

28.  Sulphate  of  lime.     Nova  Scotia. 

29.  Serpentine.     Hoboken,  N.  J. 

30.  Sulphuret  of  antimony,  with  crystals  of  carbonate  of  lime.     Corn- 

wall, England. 

31.  Chalcedony.     Easthaven,  Conn. 

18  *  O  (209) 


210  APPENDIX. 

32.  Arseniate  of  iron,  in  quartz.     Connecticut. 

33.  Arseniate  of  cobalt,  with  iron  pyrites  and  copper.     Ireland. 

34.  Indurated  talc.     Hoboken,  N.  J. 

35.  Primitive  granular  limestone.     Kingsbridge,  N.  Y. 
30.  Galena  in  quartz.     Wales. 

37.  Carbonate  and  sulphuret  of  copper,  with  calcareous  spar,  in  sand- 

stone.    Schuyler's  mines,  Bergen  county,  N.  J. 

38.  Iron  pyrites  (cubical).     Haddam,  Conn. 

39.  Ferruginous  oxide  of  manganese.     Greenwich  street,  New  York  city. 

40.  Green  feldspar.     Hoboken,  N.  J. 

41.  Chert.     Wales. 

42.  Brown  haematite.     Salisbury,  Conn. 

43.  Indicolite,  in  lamellar  feldspar.     Chesterfield,  Mass. 

44.  Tremolite.     Litchfield  county,  Conn. 

45.  Sappare  (Cyanite  of  Cleveland).     Litchfield  county,  Conn. 
40.  Chabasie.     Deerfield,  Mass. 

47.  Anthracite,  with  quartz.     Rhode  Island. 

48.  Fluate  of  lime.     Derbyshire,  Eng. 

49.  Asbestos.     Milford,  Conn. 

50.  Zeolite.     Giants'  Causeway,  county  of  Antrim,  Ireland. 

51.  Hydrate  of  magnesia.     Hoboken,  N.J. 

52.  Serpentine  (verte  antique).     Milford,  Conn. 

53.  do.         (pure).     Milford,  Conn. 

54.  Primitive  granular  limestone,    equalling  Carrara  marble.     Stock- 

bridge,  Mass. 

55.  Precious  serpentine.     Hoboken,  N.  J. 
50.  Beryl,  in  granitic  rock.     Haddam,  Conn. 

57.  Sediment  in  the  Hot  Springs  of  AYashita,  Arkansas  Territory. 

58.  Asbestos.     Milford,  Conn. 

59.  Talc.     Staten  Island,  Richmond  county,  N.  Y. 

00.  Graphic  granite.     "  "  " 

01.  Amethystine  quartz.     Easthaven,  Conn. 

02.  Prehinite.     Hartford,  Conn. 

03.  Jasper.     Egypt. 

04.  Granite.     Greenfield  Hill,  Conn. 

05.  Fibrous  carbonate  of  lime,  resembling  zeolite.     Hoboken,  N.  J, 
00.  Chalcedony.     Easthaven,  Conn. 

07.  Tremolite.     Litchfield,  Conn. 

08.  Sulphuret  of  antimony.     Cornwall,  Eng. 

69.  "  " 

70.  Agate.     Corlaer's  Hook,  Island  of  New  York. 

71.  Sulphuret  of  molybdena,  in  granite.     Bergen,  N.  J. 

72.  Cellular  mass  of  sandstone   and   quartz,  with   crystals   of  quartz. 

Schuyler's  mines,  N.  J. 

73.  Crystallized  carbonate  of  lime,  with  carb'te  of  copper.     Same  mines. 


MINERALS   AND    FOSSILS.  211 

74.  Micaceous  oxide  of  iron.     Kiver  St.  Francis,  Madison  county,  Mo. 

75.  Petrified  wood.     Locality  unknown. 

76.  Sulphate  of  copper  (blue  vitriol),  with  carbonate  of  copper,  in  a  fer- 

ruginous sandstone.     Schuyler's  mines,  N.  J. 

77.  Carbonate  of  copper.  "  "         " 

78.  Agate.     South  bank  of  White  river,  Arkansas  Territory. 

79.  Sulphuret  of  lead,  carbonate  of  copper,  and  yellow  oxide  of  iron. 

Schuyler's  mines,  N.  J. 

80.  81,  82,  and  83.  Calcareous  spar.     Lead-mines,  Missouri. 
84  and  85.  Sulphuret  of  lead,  in  sulphate  of  barytes.     " 

86.  Argentiferous  lead-glance.     Mine  La  Motte,  Missouri. 

87.  Specular  oxide  of  iron,  with  quartz.     Bellevieu,  Washington  county, 

Missouri. 

88.  Sulphuret  of  zinc.     Lead-mines,  Missouri. 

89.  Yellow  mamillary  quartz,  incrusted  with  sulphate  of  barytes  and 

haematitic  iron.     Old  Mines,  Missouri. 

90.  Lamellar  sulphate  of  barytes.     Lead-mines  of  Missouri. 

91.  Brown  hsematite.     Staten  Island,  N.  Y. 

92.  Greenstone  porphyry.     River  St.  Francis,  Madison  county,  Mo. 

93.  Cubical  lead-glance,  with  calcareous  spar.     Bryan's  mines,  Mo. 

94.  Crested  sulphate  of  barytes.     Lead-mines,  Missouri. 

95.  Pyramidal  sulphate  of  barytes  (prism  spar).     " 

96.  Lamellar  sulphate  of  barytes,  with  galena.        " 

97.  "         with  crystals  of  calcareous  spar.         " 

98.  Blende,  with  iron  pyrites.     Elliott's  mines,       " 

99.  Flint.     Locality  unknown. 

100.  Granular  sulphuret  of  lead.     Mine  La  Motte,  Missouri. 

101.  Pumice  of  the  Missouri  river. 

102.  Pseudo-volcanic  product  of  same. 

103.  Ferruginous  sulphate  of  barytes,  on  radiated  quartz.    Lead-mines 

of  Missouri. 

104.  Crested  brown  oxide  of  iron.     Jefferson  county,  Mo. 

105.  Radiated   quartz,   incrusted  with   sulphate  of  barytes   and  iron. 

Potosi,  Mo. 

106.  Granular  lead-ore  (a  sulphuret).     Mine  La  Motte,  Mo. 

107.  Brown  oxide   of  iron,  crystallized  in   octohedrons.     Washington 

county,  Mo. 

108.  Mamillary  quartz,  on  a  basis  of  agate.     River  St.  Francis,  Mo. 

109.  Radiated  quartz.     Lead-mines  of  Missouri. 

110.  "  "  "  " 

111.  112,  113,  114,  and  115.  Mamillary  quartz.     Lead-mines  of  Missouri. 

116.  Chalky  clay.     Cape  Girardeau,  Mo. 

117.  Cubical  pyrites,  with  calcareous  spar.     Mineral  Fork,  Mo. 

118.  Radiated  quartz,  incrusted  with  crystallized  oxide  of  iron.    Jefferson 

county,  Mo. 


212  APPENDIX. 

119.  Tabular  galena.     Bryan's  mines,  Mo. 

120.  Radiated  quartz.     Jefferson  county,  Mo. 

121.  "  "  Potosi. 

122.  Hoary  quartz  (a  variety  unnoticed  in  the  books).     Potosi. 

123.  Galena,  in  heavy  spar.     Potosi. 

124.  "         on  radiated  quartz.  " 

125.  Carbonate  of  lime,  covered  by  crystals  of  quartz.     Potosi. 

126.  Metalliferous  limestone.     Potosi. 

11)7  "  "  " 

128.  Granite.     Missouri. 

129.  Radiated  limpid  quartz.     Lead-mines  of  Missouri. 
130  and  131.  Sulphuret  of  lead.     Potosi. 

132.  Galena,  with  calcareous  spar.     Bryan's  mines,  Mo. 

133  and  134.  Galena,  partially  desulphurated  by  heat.     Potosi. 

135.  Chalcedony.     St.  Genevieve  county,  Mo. 

136.  Madreporite.     Gallatin  county,  Illinois. 

137.  Primitive  granular  limestone.     Carrara,  Italy. 

138.  Egyptian  marble. 

139.  Argillaceous  porphyry.     France. 
140  and  141.  Milford  marble. 

142  and  143.  Philadelphia  marble. 

144.  Egyptian  marble. 

145.  Bituminous  shale. 

146.  Cubical  iron-ore.     Jefferson  county,  Mo. 

147.  Regulus  of  nickel  and  cobalt. 

148.  Tourmaline.     Greensburgh,  Westchester  connty,  N.  Y. 

149.  Graphic  granite.     Corlaer's  Hook,  N.  Y. 

150.  Fibrous  gypsum.     Nova  Scotia. 

151.  Trap.     Corlaer's  Hook,  N.  Y. 

152.  Tremolite,  in  carbonate  of  lime.     Somerstown,  Westchester  county, 

New  York. 

153.  Asbestos  in  steatite,  on  carbonate  of  lime.     New  York. 

155.  Lamellar  pyrites.     Sussex  county,  N.  J. 

156.  Graphite 

157.  Pyrites,  in  hornblende.      "  " 

158.  Brass  yellow  pyrites.  "  " 

159.  Jaspery  agate.     Corlaer's  Hook,  N.  Y. 

160.  Pyrites,  with  specular  oxide  of  iron.     Sussex  county,  N.  J. 

161.  Sulphate  of  barytes.     Schooley's  Mountain,  N.  J. 

162.  "  "  Washington  county,  Mo. 

163.  Bitter  spar.     Hoboken,  N.  J. 

164.  Arseniate  of  cobalt.     Chatham,  Conn. 

165.  Sulphate  of  lime.     Nova  Scotia. 

166.  Granular  quartz.     St.  Genevieve  county,  Mo. 


CATALOGUE   OF   SHELLS.  213 

167.  Sulphate  of  lime.     Nova  Scotia. 

.108.  Common  striped  jasper.     Corker's  Hook,  N.  Y. 

109.  Sulphate  of  lime.     Nova  Scotia. 

170.  Compact  limestone.     Herculaneum,  Mo. 

171.  Limestone.     St.  Louis,  Mo. 

172.  Fibrous  quartz.     Schuyler's  mines,  N.  J. 

173.  Quartz.     Dutchess  county,  &c,  N.  Y. 

174.  Sulphuret  of  zinc,  in  crystallized  quartz.     Ulster  county,  N.  Y. 

175.  Brown  haematite.     Salisbury,  Conn. 

176.  Greenstone  porphyry.     Madison  county,  Mo. 

177.  Galena.     Missouri. 


SHELLS. 

1.  Murex*  canaliculars,  with  Voluta  mercatoria*  included. 

2.  "  "  with  Voluta  oliva*  included. 

3.  "  "  with  serpulre  attached  and  included. 

4.  Murex*  carica,  with  two  pairs  Mya*  arenaria. 

5.  Helix*  ampullacea,  with  two  small  madrepores.* 

6.  "  "  with  seven  ^yprsea*  monita — African  money. 

7.  Venus*  mercenaria,  with  four  small  ones ;  a  variety  of  species  in- 

cluded. 

8.  "  "  two  valves,  intermediate  between  the  last  named. 

9.  Cardium*  leucostomum. 

10.  Cardium*  edule. 

11.  Buccinum*  perdix,  three  shells. 

12.  Murex*  neritoideus,  two  shells. 

13.  Venus*  maculata. 

14.  Patella*  fornicata,  six  shells. 

15.  Buccinum*  testiculus,  two  shells. 
10.  Venus*  Paphia,  two  valves. 

17.  Larva*  of  strombus  gigas,  six  shells. 

18.  Buccinumf  glabratum  (Ebuma  of  Lamarck). 
19  and  20.  Cypraeaf  lirabica. 

21.  C.  sordida,*  Linn.     C.  carneola,  Lam. 

22.  C.  caputf  serpentis.     Viper's  head ;  cowry. 

23.  C.  exanthema.*     (False  argus.) 

24.  Buccinum*  patulum. 

25.  Voluta  prunum.* 

26.  Cyprrea*  lota,  two  shells. 


*  Occidental  shells.  t  Oriental  shells. 


214  APPENDIX. 

27.  Voluta  guttrata.f 

28.  Bulla*  gibbosa,  seven  shells. 

29.  Ostrea*  edulis. 

30.  Peetsen.* 

31.  Venus*  tigerina. 

32.  Tellina*  radiata. 

33.  Dentralium* 

34.  Nerita*  mammilla. 

35.  Bulla*  ampulla. 

36.  Voluta  oryzy.*     (Rice  shells.) 

37.  Voluta*  nivea. 

38.  Area*  glycymeris. 

39.  Cerea*  noe. 

40.  Mytilus*  modiolus. 


*  Occidental  shells.  f  Oriental  shells. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  THE  WEST. 


A   LETTER  TO  CHARLES  G.  HAINES,  ESQ.,  SECRETARY  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION  FOR 
THE  PROMOTION  OF  INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS  AT  NEW  YORK. 


New  York,  October  5th,  1819. 

Sir  :  In  reply  to  your  communication  of  the  4th  inst.,  I  submit  the 
subjoined  remarks  on  the  following  questions  :  — 

I.  "  To  what  extent  are  the  lead,  and  other  mines,  worked  in  our  west- 
ern country,  either  by  the  United  States'  government,  or  by  individuals  1" 

In  the  extensive  region  to  which  this  inquiry  has  allusion,  are  found 
numerous  ores,  salts,  ochres,  and  other  minerals ;  and  the  catalogue  is 
daily  increasing,  by  the  discovery  of  new  substances,  which  promise  to 
become  important  to  the  commerce  of  the  western  country ;  but  the  only 
mines  worked  are  those  of  lead,  iron,  and  coal. 

The  lead-mines  are  situated  in  Missouri  Territory,  (formerly  Upper 
Louisiana,)  and  extend  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi  for  a  dis- 
tance of  about  one  hundred  miles,  by  forty  in  width,  comprising  the 
present  counties  of  Washington,  St.  Genevieve,  Jefferson,  and  Madison. 
The  first  lead-ore  was  discovered  by  De  Lochon,  La  Motte,  and  others, 
acting  under  the  authority  of  the  Company  of  the  West,  as  early  as  1720. 
Since  which  period,  the  number  of  mines  has  been  annually  increasing 
by  new  discoveries,  under  the  jurisdiction  which  has  been  successively 
exercised  over  that  country  by  France,  Spain,  and  the  United  States. 
The  number  of  mines  now  worked  is  forty-five  ;  thirty-nine  of  which  are 
in  Washington  county,  three  in  St.  Genevieve,  one  in  Madison,  and  two 
in  Jefferson.  The  quantity  of  lead  annually  smelted  from  the  crude  ore, 
I  have  estimated  at  three  million  pounds ;  and  the  number  of  hands  to 
whom  it  furnishes  employment,  at  eleven  hundred.  A  considerable  pro- 
portion of  these  are,  however,  farmers,  who  only  turn  their  attention  to 
mining  a  part  of  the  year,  when  their  farms  do  not  require  their  labor; 

(215) 


216  APPENDIX. 

the  residue  are  professed  smelters  and  miners,  including  blacksmiths  and 
others,  whose  services  are  constantly  required.  The  price  of  lead  at  the 
mines  is  now  four  dollars  per  cwt.  It  is  worth  four  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  at  St.  Genevieve  and  Herculaneum,  and 
is  quoted  at  seven  dollars  in  Philadelphia.  The  ore  exclusively  worked 
is  the  common  galena,  or  sulphuret  of  lead,  with  a  broad  glittering  grain. 
It  is  found  in  detached  pieces  and  beds  in  red  clay,  and  in  veins  in  lime- 
stone rock,  accompanied  by  sulphate  of  barytes,  calcareous  spar,  blende, 
quartz,  and  pyrites.  It  melts  easily,  yielding,  in  the  large  way,  from 
sixty  to  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  pure  metal.  By  chemical  analysis  I  pro- 
cured eighty-two  per  cent,  of  metallic  lead  from  a  specimen  of  common 
ore  at  Mine  a  Burton.  The  residue  is  chiefly  sulphur,  with  a  little  car- 
bonate of  lime  and  silex.  It  contains  no  silver,  or  at  least  none  which 
can  be  detected  by  the  usual  tests. 

All  the  lead  smelted  at  these  mines  is  transported  in  carts  and  wagons 
to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  deposited  for  shipment  at  Hercula- 
neum or  St.  Genevieve.  The  different  mines  are  situated  at  various  dis- 
tances, from  thirty  to  forty-five  miles  in  the  interior,  and  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation may  be  averaged  at  seventy-five  cents  per  cwt.  In  summer, 
when  the  roads  are  in  good  order,  it  may  be  procured  at  fifty  cents ;  but 
in  the  spring  and  fall,  when  the  roads  are  cut  up,  it  will  cost  one  dollar. 
The  transportation  from  Herculaneum  and  St.  Genevieve  to  New  Orleans, 
may  now  be  procured  at  seventy  cents  per  cwt.  This  is  less  than  the 
sum  paid,  previous  to  the  introduction  of  steamboats  on  the  Mississippi 
and  its  tributary  streams.  Hence,  it  costs  more  to  convey  a  hundred- 
weight of  lead  forty  miles  by  land,  in  wagons  and  carts,  than  to  transport 
the  same  one  thousand  miles  (the  distance  from  Herculaneum  to  New 
Orleans)  by  steamboats.  An  improvement  of  the  streams  of  the  mine 
country,  so  as  to  render  them  navigable  at  all  seasons  for  keel-boats  and 
barges,  is  therefore  a  subject  of  the  first  moment.  The  Maramec  river,  a 
stream  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  length,  and  a  hundred  yards 
wide  at  its  mouth,  which  enters  the  Mississippi  eighteen  miles  below  St. 
Louis,  draws  its  waters  from  the  mining  counties  of  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son, St.  Genevieve,  and  the  unincorporated  wilderness  on  the  south-east, 
and  the  fertile  counties  of  Franklin  and  St.  Louis  on  the  north-west;  and 
its  south-eastern  tributaries  meander  throughout  the  mine  tract.  The 
principal  of  these  are  Grand  river  and  Mineral  Fork,  which  are  navigable 
in  spring  and  fall  for  keel-boats  of  a  small  size,  and  might,  I  believe,  be 
rendered  so  throughout  the  year,  at  an  inconsiderable  expense. 

The  lead-mines  are  exclusively  worked  by  individuals,  either  under  the 
authority  of  leases  obtained  from  the  United  States  for  a  limited  time ; 
on  lands  which  were  granted  by  the  French  or  Spanish,  and  the  titles  to 
which  have  been  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  United  States;  on  un- 
confirmed lands ;  or  in  violation  of  existing  laws. 


LETTER   TO   C.    G.    HAINES.  217 

There  are  few  sections  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  which  are  not 
characterized  by  iron  and  coal.  Iron-ore  is  abundant  on  the  Ohio  and 
its  tributaries,  particularly  on  the  Alleghany,  Monongahela,  and  Mus- 
kingum. It  is  worked  at  several  foundries  in  the  counties  of  Fayette, 
Armstrong,  and  Alleghany,  in  Pennsylvania.  The  most  noted  furnaces 
are  at  Brownsville,  from  which  the  extensive  foundries  at  Pittsburgh  are 
chiefly  supplied  with  pig-iron.  It  is  also  worked  at  Zanesville,  on  the 
Muskingum,  and  on  Brush  creek,  in  Ohio ;  and  a  foundry  at  Cincinnati, 
and  another  at  Louisville,  in  Kentucky,  are  supplied  with  pig-iron  from 
the  latter  place.  The  ore  is  chiefly  of  that  kind  called  the  argillaceous 
oxide,  and  produces  iron  which  is  well  adapted  for  steam-engine  ma- 
chinery, and  for  hollow-ware.  . 

Stone-coal,  of  an  excellent  quality,  is  abundant  at  Pittsburgh,  where 
it  is  largely  consumed  in  iron-foundries,  glass-furnaces,  and  other  manu- 
factories, and  also  in  private  dwellings.  The  most  extensive  pits  or  gal- 
leries are  situated  immediately  opposite  the  city,  on  Coal  Hill,  where  it 
has  been  pursued  into  the  hill  eight  or  nine  hundred  yards.  It  is  found 
breaking  out  on  the  banks  of  the  Alleghany  at  several  places,  at  and  near 
Kittaning,  where  beds  of  it  have  been  opened  ;  and  I  have  even  observed 
traces  of  it  in  the  vicinity  of  Olean,  near  the  head  of  Genesee  river,  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  On  the  Monongahela  it  extends  by  Williams- 
port,  Brownsville,  and  Greensburgh,  to  the  vicinity  of  Morgantown,  in 
Virginia;  and  such  is  the  abundance  of  this  mineral,  and  the  uniformity 
and  regularity  which  the  geological  structure  of  this  part  of  the  country 
presents,  that  there  is  no  considerable  section  of  it,  within  a  circle  of  two 
hundred  miles  in  diameter  around  Pittsburgh,  which  does  not  afford  beds 
of  good  inflammable  coal.  Pursuing  the  Ohio  down  from  Pittsburgh,  it 
is  successively  worked  at  Wellsburg,  Wheeling,  Gallipolis,  and  Maysville. 
In  Illinois,  on  Great  Muddy  river,  and  at  Alton  ;  in  Missouri,  at  Floris- 
sant, and  on  Osage  river  ;  and  in  Arkansas,  on  the  Washita  river ;  this 
valuable  mineral  has  also  been  found. 

II.  "What  mines  have  been  discovered?" 

V.  "Where  are  the  most  valuable  mines  to  be  found  in  the  western 
country  ?" 

The  reply  to  these  inquiries  has  been,  in  part,  anticipated  by  the  pre- 
ceding details.  Lead  and  other  mines  are,  however,  found  in  several 
other  sections  of  the  western  country.  An  extensive  body  of  lead-ore  is 
found  near  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  about 
five  hundred  miles  above  St.  Louis.  The  ore  is  in  the  state  of  a  sulphu- 
ret,  is  easily  reduced,  and  yields  about  sixty-two  and  a  half  per  cent,  of 
metal.  These  mines  are  worked  in  an  imperfect  manner  by  the  savages, 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  the  original  owners  of  the  soil ;  and  considerable 
quantities  are  annnally  brought  down  to  St.  Louis  by  the  north-west 

19 


218  APPENDIX. 

traders.  Lead-ore  is  also  found  on  the  river  Desmoines  of  the  Mississippi, 
where  it  was  formerly  worked  by  the  French — on  the  Osage,  Gasconade, 
and  Mine  river  of  the  Missouri ;  on  the  White  river  and  its  tributaries  ; 
on  the  St.  Francis ;  and  on  the  Arkansas,  where  it  is  combined  with  a 
small  proportion  of  silver.  It  is  also  found  at  Cave-in-Rock,  Gallatin 
county,  Illinois,  accompanied  by  fluor  spar ;  at  Drennon's  Lick  and  Mil- 
lersburgh,  in  Kentucky ;  and  on  New  river,  at  Austinville,  in  Wythe 
county,  Virginia.  At  the  latter  place,  it  has  been  worked  without  inter- 
ruption for  nearly  fifty  years  ;  and  the  mines  still  continue  to  be  wrought. 
The  ore  is  galena,  accompanied  by  the  carbonate  of  lead,  and  the  earthy 
oxide  of  lead ;  the  latter  of  which  is  worked  in  the  large  way,  as  is  said, 
to  a  profit. 

Zinc  is  found  in  Washington  county,  Missouri,  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties ;  but  only  in  the  state  of  a  sulphuret. 

Copper  has  been  found  in  small  masses,  in  a  metallic  state,  on  Great 
Muddy  river,  and  at  Harrisonville,  Monroe  county,  Illinois.  A  grant  of 
land  made  to  P.  F.  Renault,  in  1723,  at  Old  Peoria,  on  the  Illinois  river, 
specifies  the  existence  of  a  copper-mine  upon  it ;  but  the  most  remarkable 
bodies  of  copper  which  the  globe  affords,  are  stated  to  exist  on  the  western 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  and  on  the  Upper  Mississippi.  It  is  found  in 
the  metallic  state,  but  accompanied  also,  as  is  said,  by  the  sulphuret  and 
carbonate  of  copper.  The  ores  stretch  over  a  very  extensive  region,  and 
have  been  traced  as  low  as  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony.  There  is,  indeed, 
reason  to  believe  that  copper  is  disseminated  from  the  west  bank  of  Great 
Muddy  river,  in  Illinois,  in  a  north-west  direction,  to  the  western  shore 
of  lake  Superior,  as  all  the  streams,  so  far  as  observed,  which  flow  either 
north  or  south  at  right  angles  with  such  a  line,  afford  traces  of  copper. 
Thus,  the  Kaskaskia,  the  Illinois  and  its  tributaries,  the  St.  Peter,  Wis- 
consin, and  the  southern  forks  of  the  Wabash  and  Miami,  all  furnish 
specimens  of  copper,  as  well  as  lead,  zinc,  and  iron.  An  attempt  was 
made  by  President  Adams  to  explore  the  copper-mines  of  the  north-west ; 
but  I  know  not  what  success  attended  the  undertaking.  Considering  the 
certainty  with  which  all  travellers,  since  the  days  of  Carver,  have  spoken 
of  the  existence  of  these  mines,  with  the  daily  concurrent  testimony  of 
traders  from  that  quarter,  and  their  great  importance  in  a  national  point 
of  view,  it  is  matter  of  surprise  that  they  have  been  so  long  neglected. 
Is  not  the  present  an  auspicious  time  for  authorizing  a  mission  into  that 
quarter,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  its  physical  geography  ? 

Iron  is  a  mineral  common  to  all  parts  of  the  western  country.  One 
of  its  most  remarkable  localities  is  the  head  of  the  river  St.  Francis,  in 
Missouri  Territory,  where  it  extends  through  a  considerable  part  of 
Madison  and  Washington  counties.  The  most  noted  body  is  called  the 
Iron  Mountain,  and  is  situated  about  forty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in 
Bellevieu,  Washington  county.    The  ore  is  here  found  in  immense  masses, 


LETTER   TO   C.    G.    HAINES.  219 

and  forms  the  southern  extremity  of  a  lofty  ridge  of  hills,  which  consists 
chiefly  of  red  granite,  but  terminates,  in  a  rich  alluvial  plain,  in  a  mass 
of  solid  ore.  It  is  chiefly  the  micaceous  oxide,  accompanied  by  the  red 
oxide,  and  by  iron-glance.  It  melts  very  easily,  producing  a  soft, 
malleable  iron. 

Coal  is  not  less  common,  and  may  be  considered  among  those  extensive 
mineral  formations  which  stretch,  in  so  remarkable  a  manner,  throughout 
the  vast  basin  included  between  the  Alleghany  and  Rocky  mountains. 
Salt  and  gypsum  may  also  be  referred  to  the  same  great  geological  form- 
ations, as  they  are  to  be  traced,  accompanying  each  other,  from  the  west- 
ern section  of  New  York,  to  the  southern  banks  of  the  Arkansas,  where 
immense  quantities  of  salt  and  gypsum  exist.  Clay,  flint,  ochre  of  various 
kinds,  saltpetre,  alum,  reddle,  soapstone,  plumbago,  oil-stone,  marble, 
serpentine,  &c,  may  be  enumerated  among  the  useful  minerals  of  less 
importance,  which  characterize  that  region. 

III.  "  To  what  extent  and  advantage  do  you  think  the  mines  might  be 
worked,  under  proper  management  and  superintendence?" 

IV.  "  Are  the  laws  of  Congress,  which  have  been  passed  in  relation  to 
our  lead-mines,  salutary  in  their  operation  V 

I  have  stated  the  amount  of  lead  annually  produced  by  the  Missouri 
mines  at  three  millions  of  pounds,  which,  on  reflection,  I  think  is  suffi- 
ciently high.  But  there  are  numerous  difficulties  opposed  to  the  suc- 
cessful progress  of  mining  in  that  country,  by  the  removal  of  which,  the" 
amount  would  be  greatly  augmented.  Some  of  these  difficulties  arise 
from  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  business,  from  a  want  of  skill,  or  of 
mining  capital  in  those  by  whom  mining  operations  are  conducted  ;  but 
by  far  the  greatest  obstacle  results  from  the  want  of  a  systematic  organi- 
zation of  the  mining  interest  by  the  United  States,  or  from  defects  in 
existing  laws  on  the  subject. 

Immediately  after  the  occupation  of  Louisiana  by  the  United  States, 
inquiry  was  made  into  the  situation  and  extent  of  the  mines ;  and  a  law 
was  passed,  reserving  all  mines  discovered  on  the  public  lands,  and 
authorizing  the  territorial  executive  for  the  time  being  to  lease  out  such 
mines  for  a  period  of  three  years.  A  radical  defect  in  this  law  appears 
alwavs  to  have  been,  that  there  was  not,  at  the  same  time,  authorized  the 
appointment  of  a  specific  agent  for  the  general  management  and  super- 
intendence of  mines.  Such  an  officer  has  long  been  called  for,  not  less 
by  the  public  interest,  than  by  the  intelligent  inhabitants  of  the  western 
country,  who  feel  how  nearly  a  proper  development  of  its  mineral  wealth 
is  connected  with  their  individual  prosperity  and  national  independence. 
The  superintendent  should  reside  in  the  mine  country,  and  such  a  salary 
6hould  be  attached  to  the  office  as  to  induce  a  man  of  science  to  accept  it. 
His  duty  should  be  to  report  annually  to  Congress  the  state  of  the  mines, 


220  APPENDIX. 

their  produce,  new  discoveries,  and  proposed  alterations  in  existing  laws. 
He  should  lease  out  and  receive  rents  for  the  public  mines — prevent  the 
destruction  of  timber  on  mineral  lands,  and  the  working  of  mines  with- 
out authority,  and  should  be  charged  with  the  investigation  of  the  physi- 
cal and  geographical  mineralogy  of  the  country.  At  present,  the  most 
flagrant  violations  of  the  laws  are  practised— mines  are  worked  without 
]eases — -wood  is  destroyed  on  lands  which  are  only  valuable  for  the  wood 
and  the  lead-ore  they  contain  ;  and  the  government  derives  but  a  small 
revenue  from  those  celebrated  mines,  which,  whether  we  consider  their 
vast  extent,  the  richness  of  the  ore,  or  the  quantity  of  metal  they  are 
capable  of  annually  producing,  are  unparalleled  by  any  other  mineral 
district  in  the  world. 

There  is  another  feature  in  the  existing  law,  which  is  not  beneficial  in 
its  operation.  It  is  that  clause  restricting  the  terms  of  leases  to  three 
years.  To  embark  in  mining  operations  with  profit,  it  is  necessary  to 
sink  shafts  and  galleries,  build  engines,  and  erect  other  necessary  works, 
which  are,  in  some  degree,  permanent  in  their  nature,  and  require  much 
time  and  expense  in  their  completion.  A  considerable  part  of  the  period 
must,  therefore,  elapse  before  the  mine  can  be  put  in  a  state  for  working; 
and  no  sooner  is  that  done,  and  it  begins  to  afford  a  profit,  and  promises 
a  reward  for  the  expense  incurred,  than  the  expiration  of  the  lease  throws 
all  these  works  into  the  hands  of  some  new  adventurer,  or  more  successful 
applicant.  This  prevents  many  from  engaging  in  mining  on  the  public 
lands,  and  especially  those  who  would  be  best  able  to  prosecute  the  busi- 
ness ;,  and  of  the  number  who  take  leases,  a  great  proportion  continue  to 
pursue  the  desultory  method  of  mining  in  alluvial*  ground,  introduced  at 
an  early  period  by  the  French,  but  which  is  attended  with  very  great 
uncertainty. 

Improvements  remain  also  to  be  introduced  in  regard  to  the  processes 
of  mining,  the  furnaces  employed,  and  the  method  of  raising  the  ore. 
Inseparable  from  this  subject  is  the  distribution  of  more  enlarged  prac- 
tical and  scientific  views  of  mining  and  minerals  generally,  which  might, 
in  a  great  degree,  be  effected  by  the  dissemination  of  practical  treatises 
on  the  subject,  or  by  the  employment  of  experienced  and  skilful  miners 
from  Europe. 

When  such  improvements  shall  be  effected,  with  others  to  which  it  is 
not  necessary  here  to  advert — when  miners  are  properly  secured  in  the 
object  of  their  pursuit,  either  by  permanent  purchases  from  government, 
or  by  leases  for  a  long  period  of  years — and  when  the  facilities  for  trans- 
portation which  that  country  is  destined  to  afford,  by  the  improved  navi- 
gation of  its  streams,  and  by  the  introduction  of  turnpikes,  roads,  and 

*  This  word  is  used  in  its  common  acceptation  in  1S19. 


LETTER   TO   C.    G.    HAINES.  221 

bridges,  are  introduced,  there  is  reason  to  conclude  that  the  annual 
amount  of  lead  produced  will  far  surpass  the  proceeds  of  those  mines 
under  the  present  arrangement,  and,  indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  calculate 
the  extent  to  which  it  may  be  carried.  It  is,  perhaps,  a  moderate  esti- 
mate to  say,  that  they  are  capable  of  being  made  to  yield,  by  judicious 
management,  six  millions  of  pounds  of  lead  per  annum,  and  that  they 
will  furnish  employment  to  three  thousand  hands. 

During  my  late  tour  throughout  the  western  country,  including  nearly 
a  year's  residence  in  the  interior  of  Missouri,  I  devoted  much  time  to 
this  interesting  subject,  and  have  been  enabled  to  collect  a  body  of  facts 
on  the  physical  resources  and  character  of  that  country,  and  particularly 
of  its  mines  and  minerals,  which  it  is  my  design  to  lay  before  the  public. 
I  must,  therefore,  refer  you  to  this  work,  which  is  now  in  press,  for  fur- 
ther details  on  this  subject,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  I  beg  your  indulgent 
perusal  of  this  hasty  outline. 

With  respect,  Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft. 


19* 


GEOGRAPHY. 


^'^AAAAAAAAAA'V/^A/\AAAAAA^A^A^AA^AAA/V^AA/VA'V 


MISSOURI. 

When  Louisiana  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  an  independent  State, 
all  that  part  of  the  territory  situated  north  of  33°  north  latitude,  and 
formerly  known  as  Upper  Louisiana,  was  erected  into  a  separate  territo- 
rial government,  under  the  name  of  Missouri.  This  term  is  the  name 
of  a  tribe  of  Indians  who  formerly  dwelt  near  the  Missouri  river.  The 
Territory  also  included  those  boundless  plains  and  unexplored  countries 
stretching  from  north  to  south,  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and 
which  pass  into  the  province  of  Texas  on  the  south,  and  are  bounded  by 
the  western  line  of  Louisiana  on  the  east.  In  the  month  of  March  of  the 
present  year,  the  southern  part  of  Missouri  Territory,  including  the  un- 
incorporated regions  on  the  west  and  south-west,  was  erected  into  a 
separate  Territory,  under  the  name  of  Arkansas.  The  regions  to  the 
north-west  may  be  considered  as  an  unincorporated  wilderness,  where  the 
authority  of  the  United  States,  so  far  as  the  Indian  title  has  been  extin- 
guished, is  maintained  in  detached  posts  and  garrisons,  under  the  imme- 
diate government  of  military  commandants.  The  bounds  of  Missouri,  as 
designated  in  the  late  law  respecting  that  country,  are  as  follows :  begin- 
ning on  the  Mississippi  river,  in  latitude  36°  north,  and  running  due  west 
on  the  latitude  line  to  the  river  St.  Francis,  thence  up  that  river  to  36° 
30'  north  latitude,  thence  west  to  a  point  due  south  of  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Kanzas,  thence  north  to  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Desmoines,  the'nce  east  to  the  Mississippi  river,  and  down  the  middle  of 
that  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

It  embraces  some  of  the  most  prominent  geographical  features  of  the 
western  country,  and,  from  the  meeting  of  such  mighty  streams  on  its 
confines,  and  its  relation  to  all  the  country  situated  north  and  west  of  it, 
must  become  the  key  to  all  the  commerce  of  those  regions,  and  is  destined 
to  have  a  commanding  influence  on  the  surrounding  States,  and  on  the 
political  character  and  mutations  of  that  country.     It  is  bounded  by  the 

(222) 


GEOGRAPHY   OF   MISSOURI.  223 

States  of  Illinois  and  Kentucky,  from  -which  it  is  separated  by  the 
Mississippi  river  on  the  east  and  north-east,  and  by  the  Territory  of 
Arkansas  on  the  south. 

The  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  differs,  in  some  respects,  from  any 
other  section  of  the  western  country,  and  affords  a  variety  in  its  physical 
aspect  which  is  nowhere  else  to  be  met  with.  A  great  proportion  of  the 
lands  in  this  Territory  are  of  the  richest  kind,  producing  corn,  wheat, 
rye,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  tobacco,  in  great  abundance,  and  in  great  per- 
fection. The  lands  bordering  on  the  Missouri  river,  as  far  as  the  Terri- 
tory extends,  are  rich  beyond  comparison.  They  consist  of  black  alluvial 
soil,  of  unknown  depth,  and  partaking  largely  of  the  properties  of  marl ; 
and  the  heavy  growth  of  forest  trees  by  -which  it  is  covered,  indicates  the 
strength  of  the  soil.  As  you  recede  from  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  the 
land  rises,  passing,  sometimes  by  almost  imperceptible  gradations,  and 
sometimes  very  abruptly,  into  elevated  barrens,  flinty  ridges,  and  rocky 
cliffs.  A  portion  of  the  Territory  is,  therefore,  unfit  for  cultivation,  but 
still  serves  as  the  matrix  of  numerous  ores,  which  are  distributed  abun- 
dantly in  the  hills  and  mountains  of  the  interior.  There  is  very  little 
land  of  an  intermediate  quality.  It  is  either  very  rich  or  very  poor  ;  it 
is  either  bottom-land  or  cliff,  prairie  or  barren ;  it  is  a  deep  black  marl, 
or  a  high  bluff  rock ;  and  the  transition  is  often  so  sudden,  as  to  produce 
scenes  of  the  most  picturesque  beauty.  Hence,  the  traveller  in  the  inte- 
rior is  often  surprised  to  behold,  at  one  view,  cliffs  and  prairies,  bottoms 
and  barrens,  naked  hills,  heavy  forests,  rocks,  streams,  and  plains,  all 
succeeding  each  other  with  rapidity,  and  mingled  with  the  most  pleasing 
harmony.  I  have  contemplated  such  scenes,  while  standing  on  some  lofty 
bluff  in  the  wilderness  of  Missouri,  with  unmixed  delight ;  while  the  deer, 
the  elk,  and  the  buffalo,  were  grazing  quietly  on  the  plains  below. 

Situated  between  the  36th  and  40th  degrees  of  north  latitude,  the  Ter- 
ritory enjoys  a  climate  of  remarkable  serenity,  and  temperate  warmth. 
That  clear  blue  sky,  so  much  admired  by  the  aborigines,  is  characteristic 
of  the  country  ;  and  an  atmosphere  of  unusual  dryness,  exempts  the 
inhabitants  from  those  pulmonary  complaints  which  are  more  or  less  the 
consequence  of  a  humid  atmosphere.  A  country  so  situated  cannot  fail 
to  prove  genial  to  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  would  be  difficult  to  point 
out  a  section  of  country  which  affords  a  more  interesting  field  for  the 
botanist.  Its  prairies  and  barrens  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of  wild 
flowers,  shrubs,  and  plants ;  and  its  cultivated  fields  yield  to  the  hands 
of  the  planter,  a  great  proportion  of  the  useful  vegetables  of  the  earth. 
Corn  succeeds  remarkably ;  no  country  surpasses  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
souri for  the  vigor  of  its  crops.  Wheat,  rye,  oats,  flax,  and  hemp,  are 
also  raised  with  advantage.  Tobacco  is  an  article  recently  introduced, 
but  is  found  to  succeed  well,  and  the  lands  are  said  to  be  well  adapted  to 
its  growth.     Cotton  is  raised  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Territory  for 


224  APPENDIX. 

family  use,  bttt  is  not  an  advantageous  crop  for  market.  The  climate  and 
soil  are  also  adapted  to  the  growth  of  the  sweet  or  Carolina  potato,  and 
to  fruit-trees  of  various  kinds.  The  peach  and  the  apple  are  most  gene- 
rally cultivated.  Of  wild  fruits,  the  woods  afford  abundance  ;  among 
which,  the  grape,  persimmon,  papaw,  pecan,  and  filbert,  are  conspicuous.' 

(Some  varieties  of  the  grape  are  delicious,  and  they  are  very  common  at 
the  mines,  where  the  inhabitants  prepare  a  wine  from  them,  which  has 
a  pleasant  flavor. 

The  population  of  the  Territory,  exclusive  of  the  aborigines,  has  been 
stated  at  46,000,  the  greatest  proportion  of  whom  have  emigrated  into  it 
within  the  last  five  years.  They  consist  of  people  from  various  parts  of 
the  United  States  and  Europe.  A  large  number  are  from  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  New  York,  and  New  England.  The  original  inhabitants  were 
French  and  Spanish.  There  are  few  of  the  latter  remaining ;  but  the 
former  constitute  a  respectable  proportion  of  the  population. 

The  principal  towns  of  Missouri  are  St.  Louis,  St.  Genevieve,  St. 
Charles,  and  Franklin.  Of  a  lesser  size,  are  Herculaneum,  Potosi,  New 
Madrid,  Cape  Girardeau,  Jackson,  Chariton,  Florissant,  and  Carondelet. 
St.  Louis  is  the  capital  of  the  Territory,  and  by  far  the  largest  town  west 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  It  consists  of  about  550  houses  and  5000  inhabit- 
ants, and  has  two  banks,  three  houses  for  public  worship,  a  post-office, 
theatre,  land-office,  and  museum,  including  forty  stores,  with  several  mills, 
manufactories,  &e.  It  is  eligibly  situated  on  the  western  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  eighteen  miles  below  the  junction  of  the  Missouri, 
and,  from  its  commanding  situation,  is  destined  to  become  the  emporium 
>  of  the  western  country. 

Franklin,  at  Boon's  Lick,  on  the  Missouri,  has  150  houses,  is  the 
thoroughfare  for  emigrants  to  that  quarter,  and  is  surrounded  by  one  of 
the  richest  bodies  of  land  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  to  which 
emigration  is  flowing  with  unexampled  rapidity. 

St.  Charles,  situated  twenty-one  miles  above  St.  Louis,  on  the  Missouri, 
is  also  a  handsome  and  flourishing  town.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Cha- 
riton, one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  above,  at  the  mouth  of  Chariton 
river. 

No  country  in  the  world  affords  such  an  extent  of  inland  navigation 
by  its  streams,  as  the  basin  lying  between  the  Alleghany  and  Eocky 
mountains,  whose  congregated  waters  are  carried  to  the  ocean  by  those 
stupendous  natural  canals,  the  Mississippi,  Missouri,  Ohio,  and  Illinois. 
The  Mississippi  river  itself,  in  whose  current  all  these  majestic  streams 
unite,  and  are  discharged  into  the  Mexican  gulf,  washes  the  eastern 
boundaries  of  the  Territory,  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Desmoines  to 
that  of  the  St.  Francis,  a  distance  of  more  than  five  hundred  miles.  The 
Missouri,  swelled  by  its  great  tributaries,  the  Yellowstone,  Little  Mis- 
souri, Whitestone,  La   Platte,   Kanzas,  and  Osage,  passes   diagonally 


GEOGRAPHY   OF    MISSOURI.  225 

nearly  through  its  centre,  affording  on  both  sides  a  -widely-extended  tract 
of  soil  transcendently  rich,  and  bearing  a  luxuriant  growth  of  forest  trees 
and  plants,  interspersed  with  prairie.  It  is  navigable,  without  interrup- 
tion, from  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi  to  its  falls,  a  distance  of  two 
thousand  miles. 

The  Ohio  is  a  thousand  miles  in  length  from  its  head,  at  Pittsburgh,  to 
its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  and,  in  its  passage,  successively  washes 
the  shores  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  and  Illi- 
nois— shores  which  are  covered  with  villages,  towns,  and  settlements,  and 
lined  with  an  industrious  and  hardy  population. 

The  Illinois  is  also  a  stream  affording  a  great  length  of  navigation,  and 
lands  of  superior  quality,  and  has  a  natural  connection  with  the  great 
north-western  lakes,  into  which  boats  may,  at  certain  seasons,  uninter- 
ruptedly pass. 

These  rivers,  communicating  with  all  parts  of  the  country  by  their 
tributaries,  afford  the  advantages  of  commercial  exchange,  trade,  and 
manufactures,  to  a  greater  extent,  and  a  richer  description  of  country, 
than  is  anywhere  to  be  found  in  Europe,  Asia,  or  Africa. 

Of  these  advantages,  the  Territory  of  Missouri,  occupying  so  command- 
ing a  position  in  the  geography  of  the  country,  must  always  partake 
largely,  and  may,  from  the  wealth  already  concentrated  in  its  capital, 
St.  Louis,  enjoy  almost  exclusively  the  trade  of  the  Missouri  and  upper 
Mississippi. 

The  streams  which  originate  within  the  lines  described  by  the  political 
boundaries  of  the  Territory,  and  which,  either  during  their  whole  course, 
or  for  a  considerable  distance,  meander  through  it,  are  the  Osage,  the 
Gasconade,  Maramec,  Salt  river,  St.  Francis,  and  Black  river.  Of  a  lesser 
magnitude  are  Mine  river,  Chariton,  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas,  Eleven- 
points,  and  Spring  rivers ;  the  four  latter  running  southerly  into  the 
Arkansas  Territory,  and  discharging  their  waters  into  Black  river,  which 
is  itself  a  tributary  of  White  river. 

The  Osage  originates  in  a  prairie  country,  near  the  ninety-sixth  degree 
of  west  longitude,  about  one  hundred  miles  north  of  the  Arkansas,  and, 
after  meandering  in  an  east  and  north-east  direction  for  a  distance  of  five 
hundred  miles,  unites  with  the  Missouri  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
above  St.  Louis.  In  its  course  it  is  swelled  by  several  tributaries,  the 
principal  of  which  is  the  Little  Osage,  its  great  south-eastern  fork.  This 
river  affords,  in  its  whole  length,  large  bodies  of  the  choicest  prairie- 
land,  interspersed  with  woodland,  and  occasionally  with  hills,  and  is 
navigable  for  moderate  sized  boats.  Its  banks  afford  exhaustless  beds 
of  stone-coal,  and  some  iron  and  lead  is  found,  while  its  upper  forks 
reach  into  the  country  of  the  Pawnees — a  country  rich  in  salt.  The 
Osage  Indians  inhabit  its  banks;  but  a  part  of  their  lands  have  been 
purchased  by  the  United  States.     It  is  a  very  beautiful  stream,  and 

P 


226  APPENDIX. 

situated  in  a  delightful  climate ;  and  when  its  borders  are  opened  for 
emigration,  and  its  resources  properly  drawn  forth,  will  support  a  large 
population,  and  a  profitable  trade.  Its  fertile  soil  and  genial  climate 
entitle  it  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the  first  tributaries  of  the  Missouri. 

In  estimating  the  length  of  western  rivers,  there  is  one  circumstance 
which  is  not  properly  estimated  by  an  eastern  reader.  It  is  their  serpen- 
tine course,  which  is  so  remarkable,  that,  in  running  one  hundred  miles 
on  a  geographical  line,  they  will,  by  their  great  windings,  measure  at 
least  double  that  distance  ;  so  that  a  river  stated  to  be  one  thousand  miles 
in  length  by  its  banks,  cannot  be  calculated  to  traverse  a  country  of  more 
than  five  hundred  miles  in  extent ;  indeed,  I  believe  that  a  fair  average 
of  distances  would  show  the  geographical  distance  to  be  less. 

The  Gasconade  enters  the  Missouri  one  hundred  miles  above  St.  Louis. 
Its  length  is  about  two  hundred  miles,  and  it  is  navigable  for  half  that 
distance.  It  is  made  up  of  several  streams  running  from  a  ridge  of  high 
lands,  separating  the  waters  which  fall  on  the  north  into  the  Missouri, 
from  those  which  flow  on  the  south  into  the  Mississippi.  Its  banks  afford 
but  a  small  proportion  of  tillable  lands,  being  bordered  with  rocks  and 
sterile  hills.  The  rocks  are,  however,  cavernous,  and  afford  saltpetre  ; 
and  the  hills  are  covered  by  pine  timber,  which  is  sawed  into  boards  and 
plank.  In  these  two  articles,  the  commerce  of  this  river  will  always 
principally  consist.  The  current  is  rapid,  and  affords  by  its  fall  many 
mill-seats,  so  that  boats  and  rafts  may  descend  with  ease ;  but  its  ascent 
is  attended  with  great  labor.  On  this  stream  are  already  situated  several 
saw-mills. 

The  Maramec  also  originates  in  high  lands,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  south-west  of  its  mouth,  and  is  separated  from  the  waters  of  the 
Gasconade  only  by  a  dividing  ridge  of  land.  It  is  swelled  in  its  course 
by  a  great  number  of  streams,  the  most  noted  of  which  are  the  Little 
Maramec,  Bourbuse,  Fourche  a  Courtois,  Big  river,  and  Mineral  Fork. 
It  forms  a  junction  with  the  Mississippi  eighteen  miles  below  St.  Louis, 
where  it  is  two  hundred  yards  wide.  It  is  only  navigable  about  fifty 
miles,  except  in  high  floods  in  the  spring  and  fall,  when  most  of  its  tribu- 
taries may  be  ascended  with  boats.  This  stream  waters  the  country  of 
the  mines,  and  interlocks,  by  its  affluents,  with  the  Gasconade  on  the 
west,  and  the  St.  Francis  on  the  south.  The  mines  of  Missouri  are 
situated  on  its  southern  shores. 

Salt  river  enters  the  Mississippi  one  hundred  and  three  miles  above  St. 
Louis,  and  seventy-three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois.  The 
settlements  on  its  banks  are  rapidly  progressing,  and  the  lands  are  noted 
for  their  fertility. 

The  St.  Francis  originates,  with  Big  river,  in  broken  lands  in  the 
southern  part  of  Washington  and  St.  Genevieve  counties,  and  joins  the 
Mississippi  five  hundred  miles  below.     The  most  noted  bodies  of  iron-ore 


GEOGRAPHY   OF   MISSOURI.  227 

in  the  western  country  lie  on  its  head,  at  Bellevieu.  The  La  Motte 
lead-mines  also  lie  along  the  banks  of  one  of  its  tributaries.  It  affords, 
in  its  course,  a  proportion  of  excellent  land,  mixed  with  some  that  is 
rocky,  and  bordered  near  its  mouth  with  much  that  is  swampy,  low,  and 
overflown.  A  raft  of  trees,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  its 
month,  obstructs  the  navigation,  which  would  otherwise  be  good  to  within 
fourteen  miles  of  St  Michael,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Madison  county. 

Black  river  has  its  origin  near  the  heads  of  the  Gasconade  and  the 
Maramec,  and  is  swelled  in  its  course  by  the  river  Currents,  Fourche  a 
Thomas,  Eleven-points,  Spring  and  Strawberry  rivers,  and  forms  a  junc- 
tion with  "White  river  about  forty  miles  below  Poke  Bayou,  where  the 
road  to  Arkansas  and  Red  river  crosses  it.  The  banks  of  Black  river, 
and  of  all  its  tributaries,  afford  rich  alluvial  land  of  more  or  less  extent ; 
but  the  intervening  ridges  are  rocky  and  sterile. 

Although  there  is  much  high  land  in  this  Territory,  there  is  perhaps 
none  which,  strictly  speaking,  is  entitled  to  the  appellation  of  a  mountain. 
A  ridge  of  high  land,  called  the  Ozark  chain,  commencing  on  the  banks 
of  the  Maramec,  near  the  Fourche  a  Courtois,  extends  in  a  south-west 
direction  to  the  banks  of  White  river,  in  Arkansas  Territory,  a  distance 
of  about  four  hundred  miles,  and  occasionally  rises  into  peaks  of  moun- 
tain height.  This  ridge  serves  to  divide  the  waters  of  the  Missouri  from 
those  of  the  Mississippi ;  the  streams  on  one  side  running  south  into  the 
latter,  and  those  on  the  other  running  north  into  the  former.  The  body 
of  red  granite  found  on  the  head  of  the  St.  Francis,  lies  in  mountain 
masses,  and  forms,  in  connection  with  the  accompanying  rocks,  some  of 
the  most  rude  and  terrific  scenery,  full  of  interest  in  a  mineralogical,  as 
well  as  a  geological  point  of  view. 

In  the  preceding  view  of  the  lead-mines  of  Missouri,  and  in  the  cata- 
logue of  minerals  subsequently  introduced,  I  have  already  anticipated 
much  that  might  with  propriety  be  given  here ;  it  may  therefore  be  suffi- 
cient to  give  a  brief  synopsis  of  both. 

The  lead-mines  in  this  Territory  are  situated  about  forty  miles  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  sixty  miles  south-west  of  St.  Louis.  They  occupy  a 
district  of  country  between  the  waters  of  the  St.  Francis  and  the  Mara- 
mec, one  hundred  miles  in  length,  by  about  forty  in  breadth.  The  first 
lead-ore  was  discovered  by  Philip  Francis  Renault  and  M.  La  Motte, 
acting  under  the  authority  of  the  Company  of  the  West,  about  the  year 
1720 ;  since  which  period,  the  number  of  mines  has  been  greatly  aug- 
mented by  new  discoveries.  The  quantity  of  lead  annually  smelted  from 
the  crude  ore,  I  have  estimated  at  three  millions  of  pounds  ;  and  the 
number  of  hands  to  whom  it  furnishes  employment,  at  eleven  hundred. 

Iron-ore  is  found  in  very  large  bodies  in  Bellevieu,  Washington  county 
— on  Fourche  a  Courtois,  where  it  is  accompanied  by  manganese — on  Big 
river  —  on  Flatten  and  Joachim  creeks  —  and  on  the  waters  of  the  St. 


228  APPENDIX. 

Francis  and  Black  rivers.     Stone-coal  exists  in  large  bodies  at  Florissant, 
and  in  various  places  on  the  Osage  river. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Maramec  and  the  Gasconade  are  found  numerous 
caves,  which  yield  an  earth  impregnated  largely  with  nitre,  procured 
from  it  by  lixiviation.  On  the  head  of  Currents  river  are  also  found 
several  caves,  from  which  nitre  is  procured;  the  principal  of  which  is 
Ashley's  cave,  on  Cave  creek,  about  eighty  miles  south-west  of  Potosi. 
This  is  one  of  those  stupendous  and  extensive  caverns  which  cannot  be 
■viewed  without  exciting  our  wonder  and  astonishment,  which  is  increased 
by  beholding  the  entire  works, for  the  manufacture  of  nitre,  situated  in 
its  interior.  The  native  nitrate  of  potash  is  found  in  beautiful  white 
crystals,  investing  the  fissures  of  the  limestone  rock,  which  forms  the 
walls  of  this  cave ;  and  several  others  in  its  vicinity  exhibit  the  same 
phenomenon. 

Of  the  number  of  inhabitants  now  resident  in  the  Territory,  I  have 
estimated  eleven  hundred  to  be  engaged  in  mining ;  but  the  number  was 
much  greater  at  a  former  period,  one  thousand  men  having  been  em- 
ployed at  Mine  a  Burton  alone.  The  residue  of  the  population  are  farm- 
ers, mechanics,  and  manufacturers,  including  professional  men.  There 
is  also  another  class  of  society,  which  I  shall  notice  under  the  name  of 
hunters.  The  farming  class  is  by  far  the  largest,  as  the  fertility  of  the 
soil,  and  the  advantage  of  procuring  lands  on  easy  terms,  and  in  a  mild 
climate,  afford  the  strongest  and  surest  prospects  of  gain  to  the  emigrant. 
There  are  probably  fewer  mechanics  than  are  required  by  the  existing 
population.  The  wages  of  mechanics  of  all  kinds  are  very  high.  A  car- 
penter or  bricklayer  cannot  be  hired  for  less  than  two  dollars  per  day, 
and  often  receives  more.  Other  mechanics  are  also  in  demand,  particu- 
larly in  the  new  settlements  ;  and  these  are  increasing  with  such  rapidity, 
as  to  invite  the  emigration  of  skilful  and  industrious  artisans  from  all 
parts,  with  the  sure  prospect  of  success. 

The  manufactures  of  the  Territory,  in  addition  to  its  grand  staple, 
lead,  consist  in  the  distillation  of  whiskey  from  rye  and  corn,  in  the  flour- 
ing of  wheat,  the  fabrication  of  coarse  cotton  goods,  and  tow  cloth  in 
private  families,  and  of  patent  shot.  Some  white  lead  has  been  made  at 
St.  Louis.  A  clothier's  and  fuller's  works  have  been  recently  established 
on  Big  river ;  and  a  number  of  tan-yards,  where  raw  hides  are  manufac- 
tured into  leather,  are  in  successful  operation  in  various  sections  of  the 

country. 

Made  up  of  emigrants  from  all  other  parts  of  the  United  States,  and 
from  Europe,  the  inhabitants  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  acquired  an 
uniform  character.  Hospitality  to  strangers,  enterprise  in  business, 
ardor  in  the  pursuit  #of  wealth,  an  elevated  pride  of  country,  and  perse- 
verance under  the  pressure  of  many  difficulties  growing  out  of  the  infancy 
of  the  settlements,  are  the  most  conspicuous  traits  in  the  character  of  the 
inhabitants  west  of  the  Mississippi.     They  are  robust,  frank,  and  daring. 


GEOGRAPHY    OF    MISSOURI.  229 

Taught,  by  the  hardships  and  dangers  incident  to  a  frontier  settlement, 
to  depend  for  security  and  success  upon  their  own  individual  exertions, 
they  rely  little  upon  extraneous  help,  and  feel  that  true  independence, 
flowing  from  a  conviction  that  their  own  physical  exertions  are  equal  to 
every  call,  necessity,  and  emergency  of  life.  Observations  drawn  from 
habitual  intercourse,  and  from  witnessing  their  public  debates,  would 
also  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  their  enjoyments  arise  more  from  those 
active  scenes  attendant  upon  adventures  which  require  corporeal  exer- 
tion, than  from  the  arts  of  peace,  refinement,  and  intellectual  research. 

Duelling  is  unfortunately  prevalent  in  Missouri ;  and  the  practice,  , 
while  it  continues  to  receive  the  sanction  of  men  occupying  the  first  rank 
in  society,  cannot  be  expected  to  fall  into  disrepute,  but  must,  on  the  con- 
trary, continue  to  exert  its  influence  over  other  classes  of  the  community, 
and  to  involve,  in  some  measure,  in  its  consequences,  those  who  from 
principle  are  opposed  to  it. 

Those  scenes  of  riot  and  atrocity,  however,  which  have  been  imputed 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  mines  by  former  travellers,  do  not  now  exist ; 
the  most  beneficial  changes  having  been  effected  in  the  state  of  society  in 
that  country.  Emigration  has  added  to  the  former  population  an  acces- 
sion of  talents  and  intelligence,  which  has  served  to  mark  the  society  at 
the  mines  with  much  of  the  hospitality,  decorum,  and  refinements  of 
older  settlements. 

The  first  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  ancient  Louisiana  were  French 
and  Spanish  ;  the  former  of  whom  still  constitute  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  population,  but  of  the  latter  there  are  very  few  remaining. 
The  French  language  is  therefore  spoken,  in  many  settlements,  almost 
exclusively ;  and  many  of  the  Americans  have  found  it  advantageous  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  that  tongue. 

The  hunter  class  of  the  population  is  composed  of  persons  from  various 
sections  of  the  Union,  who  have  either  embraced  bunting  from  the  love 
of  ea6e  or  singularity,  or  have  fled  from  society  to  escape  the  severity  of 
the  laws,  and  to  indulge  in  unrestrained  passion.  Learning  and  religion 
are  alike  disregarded,  and  in  the  existing  state  of  society  among  the  Mis- 
souri hunters,  we  are  presented  with  a  contradiction  of  the  theories  of 
philosophers  of  all  ages  ;  for  we  here  behold  the  descendants  of  enlight- 
ened Europeans  in  a  savage  state,  or  at  least  in  a  rapid  state  of  advance 
towards  it.  These  hunters  are  chiefly  located  on  the  White,  Arkansas, 
and  Red  rivers.  Their  numbers  may  be  computed  at  a  thousand  or 
fifteen  hundred.  The  late  division  of  the  Territory  will  throw  nearly  all 
of  them  into  Arkansas. 

The  principal  tribe  of  Indians  in  this  Territory  are  the  Osages,  a  pow- 
erful nation  residing  on  the  Osage  river.  They  are  remarkable  for  their 
tall  stature,  and  their  fine  proportions.  It  is  very  rare  to  see  any  of  them 
under  six  feet.  They  inhabit  a  delightful  country,  and  are  in  amity  with 
the  United  States.     Their  chiefs  are  hereditary,  and  in  war  they  fight  on 

20 


280  APPENDIX. 

horseback.  Their  •warriors  are  called  braves,  to  "which  honor  no  one  can 
arrive  -without  having  previously  plundered  or  stolen  from  the  enemy. 
Hence,  plundering  and  stealing  ara  acts  of  the  greatest  merit,  and  de- 
mand rewards  proportionate  to  the  adroitness  or  extent  of  the  act.  They 
are  also  in  the  habit  of  plundering  white  hunters  and  travellers,  but  are 
never  known  to  commit  murders  on  such  occasions. 

A  part  of  the  ancient  and  once  powerful  tribes  of  Shawnees  and  Dela- 
wares,  also  inhabit  this  Territory.  They  are  located  on  the  banks  of 
Apple  creek  and  Fourche  a  Courtois. 

Many  of  the  plantations  and  mines  are  worked  by  slaves,  and  among 
them  are  to  be  found  blacksmiths  and  carpenters,  whose  services  are 
extremely  valuable  to  their  masters.  The  introduction  of  slavery  into 
this  section  of  the  western  country,  appears  to  have  taken  place  at  an 
early  day,  and  it  has  led  to  a  state  of  society  which  is  calculated  to 
require  their  continued  assistance. 


HOT   SPRINGS   OF   WASHITA. 

The  attention  of  the  traveller  in  the  interior  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas, 
is  frequently  arrested  by  the  novelty  of  the  scenery,  and  the  wild  and 
singularly  fanciful  aspect  of  the  country ;  he  is  often  induced  to  stop,  to 
survey  some  cavern,  water-fall,  high,  loose-hanging  cliff,  or  other  natural 
phenomenon.  It  is  in  this  light  that  those  natural  curiosities,  the  Hot 
Springs  of  Washita,  will  be  found  to  reward  attention. 

These  springs,  which  have  been  known  for  many  years,  are  situated  on 
a  stream  called  Hot  Spring  creek,  which  falls  into  the  Washita  river 
eight  miles  below.  They  lie  fifty  miles  south  of  the  Arkansas  river,  and 
six  miles  west  of  the  road  from  Oadron  to  Mount  Prairie,  on  Red  river. 

The  approach  to  the  Springs  lies  up  the  valley  of  the  creek,  which  is 
partly  made  up  of  its  waters.  On  leaving  the  banks  of  the  Washita,  the 
face  of  the  country  almost  imperceptibly  changes  from  a  rich  soil,  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  trees,  to  a  sterile  mineral  tract.  On  the  right 
hand  rises  the  Hot  Mountain,  with  the  springs  issuing  at  its  foot;  on  the 
left,  the  Cold  Mountain,  which  is  little  more  than  a  confused  and  mighty 
pile  of  stones ;  and  the  view  in  front  is  terminated  by  a  high  point  of 
land,  which  makes  down  gradually  into  the  valley,  and  separates  the 
creek  into  two  forks,  of  nearly  equal  size. 

The  Hot  Mountain  is  about  three  hundred  feet  high,  rising  quite  steep, 
presenting  occasionally  ledges  of  rocks,  and  terminating  at  top  in  a  con- 
fused mass  of  broken  rocks,  with  here  and  there  a  pine  or  oak  tree.  Its 
sides,  notwithstanding  their  sterility  and  the  steepness  of  the  ascent,  are 
covered  by  a  most  luxuriant  growth  of  vines,  particularly  muscadine,  the 
fruit  of  which  is  delicious. 

The  Cold  Mountain  is  separated  from  the  Hot  by  a  valley  of  about  fifty 
yards  wide,  through  which  the  creek  flows ;  it  is  nearly  as  steep  as  the 
other,  about  of  an  equal  height,  and  terminates  in  the  same  confused 
manner.  Some  pine  trees  are  found  on  it,  but  its  sides  are  destitute  of 
vegetation. 

The  springs  issue  near  the  foot  of  the  Hot  Mountain,  at  an  elevation 
of  about  ten  feet  above  the  level  of  the  creek.  They  are  very  numerous 
all  along  the  hill-side,  and  the  water,  which  runs  in  copious  streams,  is 
quite  hot.  It  will  scald  the  hand,  and  boil  an  egg  hard  in  ten  minutes.  ; 
Its  temperature  is  considered  that  of  boiling  water ;  but  Dr.  Andrews, 
of  Red  river,  tells  me  that  it  cannot  be  reckoned  over  200°  of  Fahrenheit. 

(231) 


232  APPENDIX. 

There  is  a  solitary  spring,  situated  seventy  feet  higher  than  the  others, 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain  ;  but  it  is  also  of  an  equal  temperature,  and 
diifers  in  no  respect  from  those  below.  Evaporation  produces  a  dense 
fog,  which  hangs  over  the  springs,  and  upon  the  side  of  the  hill,  looking 
at  a  distance  like  a  number  of  furnaces  in  blast.  It  is  probably  the  con-| 
densation  of  this  fog  by  the  cold  air  at  night,  which  produces  such  a 
rank  growth  of  vines  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  where,  otherwise,  there 
would  hardly  exist  a  sign  of  vegetable  life. 

An  idea  of  the  beneficial  effects  of  this  water  is  generally  prevalent 
throughout  the  Territory,  and  numbers  annually  resort  to  the  springs. 
They  are  found  serviceable  in  rheumatisms,  paralysis,  pains  in  the  breast, 
and  all  chronic  and  nervous  complaints.  The  method  of  using  the  water 
is  various.  Bathing  and  sweating  are  generally  resorted  to.  It  is  also 
drunk  as  hot  as  can  be  borne,  and  is  not,  like  ordinary  warm  water,  pro- 
ductive of  nausea  in  the  stomach.  Of  the  chemical  or  medicinal  proper- 
ties of  the  water,  little  is  known,  as  no  accurate  analysis  has  been  made. 
The  water  appears  clear,  pure,  and  beautiful ;  it  deposits  a  sediment, 
which  is  sometimes  red,  and  in  other  places  green  or  yellow.  Some  of 
the  springs  have  a  petrifying  quality.  The  warmth  of  the  water,  acting 
along  the  courses  of  the  streams,  has  a  stimulating  effect  on  the 
vegetation. 

There  is  abundance  of  &  beautiful  green  moss  growing  in  the  springs, 
near  their  edges  ;  and  their  devious  courses  to  the  creek  below  are  only 
indicated  by  a  more  vigorous  growth  of  grass  and  moss  all  along  the  bor- 
ders, and  a  brighter  green. 

The  mineralogical  character  of  the  country  around  the  springs  is 
highly  interesting.  Three  miles  above  is  a  quarry  of  oil-stone,  of  a  pecu- 
liar and  valuable  kind.  It  has  a  very  compact  texture,  is  heavy,  trans- 
lucent, and  gives  a  fine  edge  to  a  razor.  The  rock  formations  here  are 
limestone,  slate,  and  quartz.  Veins  of  white  quartz,  four  or  five  feet  in 
width,  are  found  running  through  the  slate  rock.  Fine  crystals  of  limpid 
quartz  are  also  abundant  in  the  neighborhood.  At  the  cove  on  Washita 
river,  fifteen  miles  below  the  springs,  there  is  a  body  of  magnetic  iron- 
ore ;  sulphates  of  copper  and  zinc,  and  sulphuret  of  iron,  in  cubical  crys- 
tals, occur  in  the  same  locality. 

These  springs,  geologically,  exist  in  a  primitive  formation,  which  may 
be  considered  the  southern  termination  of  the  Ozark  chain.  Ancient 
volcanic  forces  have  raised  the  beds  of  slate,  sienite,  and  greenstone,  of 
the  chain,  to  their  present  elevations.  The  waters  owe  their  heat  to  these 
long-extinguished,  but  deep-slumbering  fires,  which  may  hereafter  break 
out  into  new  activity. 


UNICA,   OR   WHITE   RIVER. 

In  order  duly  to  estimate  the  magnitude,  position,  character,  and 
importance  of  any  of  our  great  western  rivers,  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
the  relation  they  bear  to  each  other,  and  to  the  surrounding  country.  A 
mere  topographical  description  of  an  isolated  section  of  country  —  a 
mountain,  a  stream,  or  a  mine  —  may  possess  its  value;  but  without  a 
survey,  however  cursory,  of  the  contiguous  regions,,  it  must  lose  much  of 
its  interest  to  the  general  reader,  and  much  of  its  utility  to  the  geogra- 
phical student.  It  will  be  necessary,  therefore,  to  cast  a  glance  at  the 
extensive  country  in  which  this  river  lies,  before  its  individual  consider- 
ation can  be  profitably  commenced. 

In  looking  on  the  map  of  ancient  Louisiana,  the  most  striking  physical 
trait  presented  is  the  Rocky  mountains,  extending  from  Mexico  into  the 
unexplored  regions  north  and  west  of  lake  Superior,  with  the  del  Norte, 
Red  river,  Arkansas,  Kanzas,  La  Platte,  and  Yellowstone,  all  issuing 
from  its  sides  near  the  same  point,  and  uniting  (with  the  exception  of  the 
former)  at  different  points  in  the  vast  basin  below,  with  the  Missouri,  the 
Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi,  in  whose  congregated  floods  they  roll  on  to  the 
Mexican  gulf.  Other  streams  traverse  the  country ;  but  these  are  the 
principal  rivers  of  Louisiana,  whose  heads  rest  on  the  Rocky  mountains. 
Immediately  at  the  foot  of  these  mountains  commence  the  almost  inter- 
minable plains  of  sand,  or  Kanzian  desert,  stretching  from  north  to  south 
for  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  and  with  an  average  breadth  of  six  hun- 
dred. To  this  succeed  the  highlands  and  mountains  of  the  present  Terri- 
tories of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  which  preserve  a  pretty  exact  parallel- 
ism, from  north  to  south,  with  the  Rocky  mountain  chain,  and  give  rise 
to  several  rivers  of  secondary  magnitude.  This  again  is  bounded  by  the 
alluvial  tract  of  the  Mississippi,  being  the  third  grand  parallel  division 
presented  by  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Through  these,  the  Red  river  and 
the  Arkansas  hold  their  unaltered  course,  and  reach  the  Mississippi  with- 
out a  fall ;  while  the  Kanzas,  the  La  Platte,  and  the  Yellowstone,  bending 
northward,  reach  the  Missouri,  without  meeting  any  mountains  to  oppose 
their  progress.  The  rivers  of  secondary  magnitude,  whose  origin  is  east 
of  the  highlands  bordering  the  western  desert,  are  the  Teche,  Vermillion, 
Tensaw,  Washita,  Little  Missouri,  Courtableau,  Bceuf,  Little  Red,  Grand, 
White,  Black,  Osage,  Maramec,  Gasconade,  and  St.  Francis  rivers.  Of 
these,  White  river,  a  stream  hitherto  almost  wholly  unknown,  or  only 
20  *  (233) 


234  APPENDIX. 

known  to  hunters,  and  which  has  not  received  its  deserved  rank  on  any 
existing  map,  is  one  of  the  most  considerable.  It  was  therefore  with 
surprise  that  I  found,  on  travelling  into  those  remote  regions,  so  consi- 
derable a  stream  unnoticed  by  geographers,  or  only  noticed  to  attest  their 
want  of  information  respecting  its  size,  length,  tributaries,  character, 
productions,  and  importance.  I  therefore  concluded  that  a  summary  of 
these  particulars,  as  observed  by  myself  during  a  tour  into  that  quarter, 
would  be  an  acceptable  piece  of  service,  and,  with  this  view,  began  these 
observations. 

White  river  originates  near  the  ninety-seventh  degree  of  west  longi- 
tude, and  about  the  thirty-sixth  of  north  latitude,  and,  after  running  in 
a  very  serpentine  course  for  thirteen  hundred  miles,  enters  the  Missis- 
sippi fifty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  and  seven  hundred 
above  New  Orleans.  Its  waters,  unlike  most  of  the  western  rivers,  are 
beautifully  clear  and  .transparent,  being  wholly  made  up  of  springs  that 
gush  from  the  diluvial  hills  which  are  found,  for  more  than  half  its 
length,  within  a  few  miles  of,  and  often  immediately  upon,  its  banks.  So 
much  of  the  country  through  which  it  runs,  is,  therefore,  sterile  and 
rough  ;  but  the  immediate  margin  of  the  river  uniformly  presents  a  strip 
of  the  richest  alluvial  bottom-land,  from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  mile  and 
a  half  in  width.  On  this,  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  potatoes, 
have  a  vigorous  growth  ;  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  and  the  fertility  of 
the  soil,  combining  to  render  it  one  of  the  most  favorable  of  all  countries 
for  the  pursuits  of  agriculture.  Cotton  also  succeeds  on  the  banks  of  this 
river  as  high  up  as  settlements  have  extended,  and  will  hereafter  be  an 
important  item  among  its  agricultural  productions.  The  district  of  tilla- 
ble land  on  this  river,  like  many  others  west  of  the  Mississippi,  is  chiefly 
confined  to  its  banks.  Bordering  this,  is  found  a  chain  of  hills  on  either 
side,  which  sometimes  close  in  upon  the  river's  banks  in  perpendicular 
cliffs  ;  and  the  adjacent  country  may  in  general  be  considered  as  sterile. 
To  this  remark,  all  its  tributaries  are  exceptions ;  for  they  invariably 
afford,  however  small,  tracts  of  the  most  fertile  land,  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  forest  trees  and  underbrush.  The  cane  is  also  common  to  this 
stream  in  its  whole  course,  and  affords  a  nutritious  food  for  cows,  horses, 
and  hogs,  who  are  fond  of  it,  and  fatten  upon  it.  This  plant  being  an 
evergreen,  cattle  and  horses  may  feed  upon  it  all  winter  ;  and  it  is  accord- 
ingly given  to  them,  as  a  substitute  for  hay,  by  the  Indians  and  hunters. 

The  only  inhabitants  on  the  upper  part  of  White  river,  so  far  as  inha- 
bitants have  penetrated,  are  hunters,  who  live  in  camps  and  log  cabins, 
and  support  themselves  by  hunting  the  bear,  deer,  buffalo,  elk,  beaver, 
raccoon,  and  other  animals,  which  are  found  in  great  plenty  in  that 
region.  They  also  raise  corn  for  bread,  and  for  feeding  their  horses. 
They  seldom,  however,  cultivate  more  than  an  acre  or  two,  subsisting 
chiefly  on  animal  food  and  wild  honey,  and  pay  no  attention  to  the  culti- 
vation of  garden  vegetables,  if  I  except  some  cabbages,  noticed  at  a  few 


WHITE    RIVER.  235 

habitations.  When  the  season  of  hunting  arrives,  the  ordinary  labors 
of  a  man  about  the  house  and  cornfield  devolve  upon  the  women,  whose 
condition  in  such  a  state  of  society  may  readily  be  imagined.  The  inha- 
bitants, in  fact,  pursue  a  similar  course  of  life  with  the  savages,  having 
embraced  their  love  of  ease,  and  their  contempt  for  agricultural  pursuits, 
with  their  sagacity  in  the  chase,  their  mode  of  dressing  in  skins,  their 
manners,  and  their  hospitality  to  strangers. 

The  furs  and  peltries  which  are  collected  during  repeated  excursions 
in  the  woods,  are  taken  down  the  river  at  certain  seasons  in  canoes,  and 
disposed  of  to  traders,  who  visit  the  lower  parts  of  this  river  for  that 
purpose.  Here  they  receive,  in  exchange  for  their  furs,  woollen  cloths, 
rifles,  knives,  hatchets,  salt,  powder,  lead,  iron  for  horse-shoes,  blankets, 
iron  pots,  shoes,  and  other  articles  of  primary  importance  in  their  way 
of  life.  Those  living  near  the  cultivated  parts  of  Lawrence  county,  in 
Arkansas  Territory,  also  bring  down,  in  exchange  for  such  articles, 
buffalo  beef,  pork,  bears'  meat,  beeswax,  and  honey,  which  are  again  sold 
by  the  traders  along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  or  at  New  Orleans. 
Very  little  money  is  paid,  and  that  in  hard  cash  only ;  no  bank-bills  of 
any  kind  being  taken  in  that  quarter.  I  happened  to  be  present,  on  my 
return  from  the  head-waters  of  White  river,  at  one  of  these  exchanges, 
where  a  further  opportunity  was  offered  of  observing  the  manners  and 
character  of  these  people.  Bears'  meat  was  sold  at  $10  per  cwt. ;  buffalo 
beef  at  $4  ;  cows'  beef  at  $3  ;  pork,  in  the  hog,  at  $3  50  ;  venison  hams 
at  25  cents  each  ;  wild  turkeys,  the  same  ;  wild  honey  at  $1  per  gallon  ; 
beaver  fur,  $2  per  lb. ;  bearskins,  $1  50  each  ;  otter  skins,  $2 ;  raccoon 
skins,  25  cents  ;  deerskins,  25  cents  per  lb.  These  prices  were  considered 
high  by  the  purchaser  ;  but  they  were  only  nominally  so,  as  he  paid  them 
off  in  articles  at  the  most  exorbitant  rates.  Common  three-point  or 
Mackinaw  blankets  were  sold  at  $8  each ;  butcher-knives  at  $2 ;  rifle- 
locks  at  $8  ;  common  coarse  blue  cloth  at  $6  per  yard ;  coffee  at  75  cents 
per  lb. ;  salt  at  $5  per  bushel ;  lead  at  25  cents  per  lb. ;  gunpowder  at  $2 
per  lb. ;  axes  at  $6  each  ;  horseshoe-nails  at  $3  per  set,  &c.  The  trade 
of  this  river  is  consequently  attended  with  profits  which  amply  repay  the 
risks  and  fatigues  incident  to  a  voyage  in  that  quarter.  Vast  quantities 
of  furs  and  skins  are  annually  brought  down  this  river,  with  some  bees- 
wax, honey,  beef,  bacon,  &c. ;  and  whenever  the  hunter  population  yields 
to  the  farming  and  mechanical  class,  the  list  of  its  productions  will  be 
swelled  by  corn,  rye,  wheat,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  cotton ;  a  sufficiency 
of  each  of  which  has  already  been  raised,  to  show  that  the  climate  and 
soil  are  well  adapted  to  their  culture.  Its  mineral  products  are  also 
worthy  of  attention.  Iron-ore,  lead,  zinc,  and  manganese,  have  already 
been  discovered ;  and  among  its  earthy  minerals  may  be  enumerated 
marble,  agate,  jasper,  hornstone,  and  rock  crystal ;  specimens  of  which, 
with  some  others,  I  picked  up  during  my  journey  there.  Caves  with 
nitre  are  also  common ;  and  large  forests  of  pine  timber,  which  will  be 


236  APPENDIX. 

wanted  in  the  progressing  settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  are  situated  on 
its  northern  tributaries,  and  may  be  floated  down  at  an  inconsiderable 
expense. 

White  river  runs  through  a  section  of  country  which,  according  to  a 
recent  political  division,  belongs  chiefly  to  the  Territory  of  Arkansas ; 
but  several  of  its  tributaries  originate  in  Missouri,  the  chief  of  which  are 
James  river,  Great  North  Fork,  or  Pine  river,  and  Black  river,  with  its 
auxiliaries  —  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas,  Spring,  Eleven-points,  and 
Strawberry  rivers. 

About  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  below  the  Pawnee  mountains,  the 
main  south  fork  of  White  river  is  joined  by  the  War  Eagle  and  Osage 
forks  ;  a  region  remarkable  for  the  abundance  of  beaver  found  in  its 
streams.  In  the  course  of  the  succeeding  two  hundred  miles,  it  is  joined 
by  King's  river  and  Tower  creek  on  the  south,  and  by  Roaring  fork  and 
James  river  on  the  north  ;  the  latter  being  by  far  the  largest  stream  it 
has  thus  far  received,  and  contributing  nearly  as  much  water  as  all  the 
others  put  together.  From  the  mouth  of  James  river  to  its  junction  with 
the  Mississippi,  it  is  successively  joined  by  Long,  Bull,  Swan,  Beaver, 
and  Big  creeks,  by  the  Little  and  Great  North  Forks,  Black  and  Cash 
rivers,  on  the  north ;  and  on  the  south  by  Bear  and  Crooked  creeks, 
Buffalo  Fork,  and  Little  Red  river ;  and  it  is  finally  connected  with  the 
Arkansas  river  by  a  natural  canal  called  the  cut-off,  about  thirty  miles 
above  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  which  affords  a  navigable  water 
communication  at  all  seasons.  Many  of  the  above  tributaries  are  streams 
of  no  ordinary  magnitude,  and  afford  boat  navigation  for  many  hundred 
miles ;  they  are  all  characterized  by  tracts  of  rich  alluvial  lands  on  their 
banks.  James  river,  Buffalo  Fork,  Great  North  Fork,  Black  river,  and 
Little  Red  river,  merit  individual  attention. 

James  river  originates  in  the  Ozarks,  a  few  miles  south  of  the  Gascon- 
ade, in  Missouri  Territory,  and,  after  running  in  a  south-west  direction 
for  two  hundred  miles,  in  the  course  of  which  it  is  swelled  by  Findley's 
river,  and  by  other  streams,  forms  a  junction  with  White  river  a  thousand 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  latter.  Its  waters  are  as  pure  as  crystal ;  it 
lies  under  a  climate  the  most  mild,  salubrious,  and  delightful;  and  on  its 
banks  are  situated  a  body  of  the  most  fertile  and  beautiful  lands  which 
the  whole  valley  of  the  Mississippi  affords.  The  timber  on  its  banks  is 
abundant;  a  remark  which  cannot  with  justice  be  made  of  many  parts 
of  the  adjacent  country,  and  nothing  can  exceed  the  vigor  and  the  ver- 
dure of  vegetable  nature  on  the  borders  of  this  beautiful  stream.  Prairies 
are  also  found  within  a  mile  of  its  western  banks,  and  extend  towards 
the  Grand  Osage,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  level  as  a  graduated  plain, 
and  waving  with  tall  grass,  on  which  the  elk,  the  buffalo,  and  the  deer, 
feed  in  countless  numbers. 

Findley  river  forms  a  junction  with  this  stream,  near  the  centre  of  this 
choice  body  of  land,  and  about  one  hundred  miles  above  its  mouth. 


WHITE    RIVER.  237 

Twenty  miles  above  the  junction  of  these  streams,  on  the  immediate 
banks  of  James  river,  are  situated  some  valuable  lead-mines,  which  have 
been  known  to  the  Osage  Indians,  and  to  a  few  AVhite  river  hunters,  for 
many  years.  The  Indians  have  been  in  the  habit  of  procuring  lead  for 
bullets  at  that  place,  by  smelting  the  ore  in  a  kind  of  furnace,  made  by 
digging  a  pit  in  the  ground,  and  casing  it  with  some  flat  stones,  placed 
so  as  to  resemble  the  roof  of  a  house  inverted  ;  such  is  the  richness  of  the 
ore,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  smelts.  The  ore  has  not,  however,  been 
properly  explored,  and  it  is  impossible  to  say  how  extensive  the  beds  or 
veins  may  prove.  Some  zinc,  in  the  state  of  a  sulphuret,  is  found  accom- 
panying it.  There  is  not  one  inhabitant  on  all  this  stream  ;  my  own 
cabin,  erected  for  a  temporary  purpose  at  the  mines  in  January  last, 
being  the  only  human  habitation  within  two  hundred  miles  of  that  place. 

Buffalo  Fork  originates  near  the  north  banks  of  the  Arkansas,  and, 
after  traversing  a  rocky  country  for  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
in  a  north-east  course,  joins  White  river  at  the  Buffalo  Shoals,  about 
seven  hundred  miles  above  the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  fine  region  for  game, 
and  affords  some  good  lands. 

The  Great  North  Fork,  or  Pine  river,  is  a  stream  of  two  hundred  miles 
in  length,  and  a  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth.  Its  waters  are  clear, 
being  entirely  made  up  of  springs,  which  are  numerous  all  along  its 
banks  ;  but  the  navigation  is  interrupted  by  rapids.  It  originates  with 
James  river  and  the  Gasconade,  in  a  ridge  of  high  land,  which  tlyows  a 
part  of  its  waters  into  the  Missouri,  and  a  part  into  the  Mississippi,  the 
streams  running  in  opposite  directions.  In  travelling  into  that  country, 
I  accidentally  arrived  at  the  extreme  head  of  this  river,  where  it  consists 
only  of  some  drizzling  springs,  and  pursued  it  down,  in  all  its  windings, 
to  its  junction  with  White  river,  about  twelve  miles  below  the  mouth  of 
Buffalo  Fork.  It  is  bordered  on  both  sides  by  limestone  bluffs,  covered 
generally  with  tall  pines,  and  affording  some  detached  strips  of  valuable 
land.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  must  be  considered  a  sterile  region, 
which  will  never  admit  of  a  dense  population.  The  bottoms  are  overrun 
by  cane  and  brier,  which  render  travelling  extremely  fatiguing. 

This  stream  appears  generally  to  have  been  considered  by  geographers 
as  the  head  of  White  river,  which  is  accordingly,  on  most  maps,  made  to 
originate  at  this  place.  The  error  has  been,  in  some  degree,  corrected  in 
Ilobinson's  new  map  of  Louisiana,  lately  published  at  Natchez,  which 
may  be  esteemed  the  best  map  extant  respecting  that  section  of  country. 
He  calls  it  Pine  river. 

Black  river  is  a  large,  deep,  and  gentle  stream,  composed  of  numerous 
auxiliaries,  which  draw  their  waters  from  the  counties  of  Wayne,  New 
Madrid,  and  Lawrence ;  the  two  former  lying  in  Missouri  Territory,  and 
the  latter  in  Arkansas.  It  is  navigable  with  boats  of  the  largest  burden, 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  for  more  than  one  hundred  miles.  Little 
Black,  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas,  Eleven-points,   Spring,  and  Straw- 


238  APPENDIX. 

berry  rivers,  are  all  streams  of  considerable  size,  coming  in  on  the  west, 
and  deserve  particular  notice  on  the  future  maps  of  that  country.  Their 
banks  afford  choice  bodies  of  fertile  lands,  which  are  already  the  seat  of 
many  plantations  and  farms,  where  corn,  rye,  wheat,  oats,  flax,  hemp, 
and  cotton,  are  raised  in  the  greatest  perfection,  and  the  settlements  are 
rapidly  increasing.  Considerable  quantities  of  beef  and  pork  are  also 
put  up  for  the  New  Orleans  market,  every  facility  being  afforded  by  the 
luxuriance  of  grass  in  the  woods,  and  the  abundance  of  acorns  in  the 
fall,  for  raising  and  fattening  hogs  and  cattle.  Lawrence  county  is  gene- 
rally considered  among  the  first  farming  districts  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
Davidsonville,  the  seat  of  justice  for  this  county,  is  situated  on  the  west 
bank  of  Black  river,  at  the  junction  of  Spring  river.  The  settlements  on 
Strawberry  river,  on  the  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas,  Poke  Bayou,  and 
other  places,  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Little  Red  river  issues  near  the  sources  of  Buffalo  Fork,  and  runs 
parallel  with  the  Arkansas  for  a  great  distance,  but  inclines  gradually  to 
the  north-east,  and  joins  White  river  about  two  hundred  miles  above  its 
mouth.  It  affords  a  considerable  body  of  choice  land,  but  is  subject  to 
very  sudden  rises,  which  overflow  its  banks,  and  have  retarded,  to  some 
extent,  the  further  settlement  of  its  valley. 

Such  are  the  principal  tributaries  of  White  river;  a  stream  which  is 
navigable,  with  keel-boats  of  thirty  tons  burden,  to  the  foot  of  Buffalo 
Shoals,  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  may  be 
ascended  with  light  vessels  five  hundred  miles  higher.  It  draws  its 
waters  from  a  district  of  country  about  three  hundred  miles  in  width,  by 
seven  or  eight  hundred  in  length,  having  on  its  borders  and  tributaries 
large  bodies  of  very  rich  lands,  mixed  with  much  that  is  poor  and  unfit 
for  cultivation  ;  but,  taking  into  view  its  advantageous  situation  for  com- 
merce, its  political  relation  to  the  two  Territories,  in  a  part  of  each  of 
which  it  lies,  and  the  extensive  bodies  of  farming-lands  on  James  river, 
Buffalo  Fork,  and  Black  river,  we  may  anticipate  the  period  when  a 
large  population  shall  find  their  support  on  its  banks  —  when  numerous 
villages  and  towns  shall  decorate  its  shores,  and  the  productive  labor  of 
its  inhabitants  swell  greatly  the  commerce  of  the  western  country,  while 
they  themselves  command  an  important  influence  in  its  political  trans- 
actions. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  events  connected  with  the  history  of  this 
river,  is  the  visit  paid  to  it  by  De  Soto  in  1542.  The  place  of  his  crossing 
it  is  not  certainly  known. 


STEAM  NAVIGATION  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


Steamboats  were  first  introduced  on  the  Mississippi  about  1812 ;  and, 
within  seven  years  of  that  time,  not  less  than  fifty  boats,  of  all  classes, 
had  been  built.  The  following  list,  which  I  made  in  1819,  embraces  all 
the  steam-vessels  which  are  known  to  have  been  put  upon  that  stream 
and  its  tributaries,  prior  to  that  era,  and  is  believed  to  give  with  accuracy 
their  names  and  tonnage. 

Fulton's  first  successful  experiment  in  the  application  of  Savary's 
steam-engine,  as  improved  by  Watt  and  Bolton,  to  the  propulsion  of  ves- 
sels, dates  in  1807 ;  so  that  but  five  years  elapsed  before  the  invention 
was  introduced,  and  twelve  years  before  it  was  spread,  on  the  western 
waters.  The  impracticability  of  navigating  those  waters  by  the  force  of 
sails,  caused  the  invention  to  be  hailed  there  with  acclamation  ;  and  this 
explains  the  cause  of  its  rapid  multiplication. 

No.     Names.  Tons.    No.     Names.  Tons. 


1.  Etna 200 

2.  Vesuvius 280 

3.  Orleans 200 

4.  Alabama 300 

5.  Columbus 400 

0.  Tamerlane 200 

7.  James  Ross 250 

8.  United  States 500 

9.  Paragon 250 

10.  Thomas  Jefferson 200 

11.  Ohio ..300 

12.  General  Jackson 100 

13.  Maysville 152 

14.  Exchange ...  154 

15.  Volcano 140 

16.  Madison 100 

17.  Kentucky 60 

18.  Hecla 100 

19.  Napoleon 200 

20.  Washington 150 

21.  Buffalo 100 

22.  James  Monroe 70 

23.  Cincinnati 85 

24.  St.  Louis 200 

25.  General  Pike 75 

26.  Independence 100 


27.  St.  Louis  Packet 150 

28.  Ramapo 100 

29.  Rising  States 150 

30.  Maid  of  Orleans 100 

31.  Hamlet 100 

32.  Perseverance 50 

33.  Johnson 75 

34.  Eagle 100 

35.  Vesta 110 

36.  Harriet 40 

37.  Constitution 45 

38.  Louisiana 60 

39.  Governor  Shelby 60 

40.  Franklin 80 

41.  Rifleman 60 

42.  Newport 45 

43.  Expedition  150 

44.  General  Clark 150 

45.  Henderson 150 

46.  Tornado 250 

47.  Elizabeth 175 

48.  Missouri  Packet 100 

49.  Post-Boy  (for  pas'gers  only)  ..  . 

50.  Western  Engineer 40 


Total. 


16 


06 


0239) 


240  APPENDIX. 

In  addition  to  those,  there  are  two  new  boats  building  at  Pittsburgh, 
one  at  Wheeling,  one  at  Steubenville,  one  at  Marietta,  two  at  Cincinnati, 
one  at  Frankfort,  two  at  Shippingport,  one  at  Madison,  and  two  at  New 
Albany,  making  a  total  number  of  sixty-three.  There  are  also  several 
more  in  contemplation,  so  that  it  is  probable  another  year  will  consider- 
ably augment  the  number.  The  first  steamboat  on  the  western  waters 
was  built  at  Pittsburgh  in  1811,  eight  years  ago.  Hence  it  appears  there 
has  been  an  average  increase  of  eight  boats  per  annum  ;  but  by  far  the 
greatest  proportion  have  been  built  within  the  last  three  years. 

7306  tons,  at  4  cents  per  lb.  freight  up  from  New  Orleans, 

amounts  to  $584,480  00 

7306  tons,  at  1  cent  per  lb.  freight  down  to  New  Orleans  . .  .   146,120  00 

10  passengers  down  in  each  boat,  at  $60 39,800  00 

5  "  up  in  each  boat,  at  $100 31,500  00 

$801,900  00 

It  is  presumable  that  each  boat  will  perform  three  trips  to  and  from  New 
Orleans  per  annum,  which  will  make  an  aggregate  amount  of  freight  and 
passage  money  of  $2,405,700  per  annum.  From  this,  some  idea  of  the 
trade,  population,  and  business  of  the  vast  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  may 
be  formed.  And  let  it  be  remembered,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  trans- 
portation of  merchandise  is  not  wholly  done  by  steamboats.  The  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  are  still  lined  with  keel-boats  and  barges  ;  and  much  of 
the  produce  is  still  carried  to  market  in  flat-bottomed  boats,  of  a  tempo- 
rary construction,  which  are  not  calculated  to  ascend  the  stream,  and  are 
therefore  generally  sold  for  a  trifle,  or  abandoned. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  a  comparative  statement  of  the  increase 
of  the  principal  articles  of  produce  which  arrived  at  the  New  Orleans 
market  during  a  period  of  three  years. 

Productions.  1815. 

Bacon  and  hams,  cwt 7,000 

Butter,  lbs 

Cotton,  bales 60,000 

Corn,  bushels 120,000 

Flour,  barrels 75,000 

Molasses,  gallons 500,000 

Pork,  barrels 8,000 

Sugar,  hhds 5,000 

Tama,  gallons 150,000 

Tobacco,  hhds 5,000 

Wheat,  bushels 

Whiskey,  gallons 150,000 


1816. 

1817. 

13,000 

18,000 

500 

1,800 

65,000 

65,000 

130,000 

140,000 

98,000 

190,000 

800,000 

1,000,000 

9,700 

22,000 

7,300 

28,000 

300,000 

400,000 

7,300 

28,000 

95,000 

230,000 

250,000 

ANTIQUITIES  AND  INDIAN  HISTORY. 


SOME  ARTICLES  OF  CURIOUS  WORKMANSHIP  FOUND  IN  AN 

ANCIENT  BARROW. 

An  opinion  is  entertained  by  many  well-informed  persons  in  the 
United  States,  that  the  country  has,  at  some  remote  period,  been  inha- 
bited by  a  civilized  people,  prior  to  its  settlement  or  subjugation  by  the 
savages.  To  the  many  evidences  furnished  to  strengthen  tins  opinion, 
by  the  remnants  of  fortifications,  tumuli,  &c,  may  be  added  the  disco- 
very of  several  articles  of  antiquarian  value,  and  of  singular  workman- 
ship, of  glass,  or  antique  enamel,  lately  made  on  the  eastern  shores  of 
lake  Erie. 

I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  a  specimen  of  these  antique 
glasses,  and,  on  the  authority  of  my  informant,  am  enabled  to  remark 
that  they  were  taken  up  about  two  months  ago,  from  an  ancient  barrow 
in  the  town  of  Hamburg,  where  they  were  found  deposited  in  an  earthen 
pot.  Contiguous  to  this  pot  were  also  found  a  skull,  and  some  other 
human  remains,  thought  to  be  of  an  unusual  size.  This  mound,  or  sup- 
posed repository  of  the  dead,  is  situated  in  an  uncultivated  part  of  the 
town,  and  several  trees  were  growing  upon  it  at  the  time  the  excavation 
was  made;  some  of  which  were  judged  to  be  upwards  of  two  feet  in 
diameter. 

The  glass  relic  which  I  had  an  opportunity  to  examine,  (and  I  am  told 
they  are  all  alike,)  is  in  the  form  of  a  large  barrel-shaped  bead,  consisting 
of  a  tube  of  transparent  green  glass,  covered  with  an  opaque  coarse  red 
enamel.  Its  length  is  nine-tenths  of  an  inch,  its  greatest  width  six  and 
a  half  tenths  of  an  inch,  and  the  bore  of  the  tube  two-tenths  of  an  inch. 
Near  the  circle  of  the  bore  of  this  tube,  is  an  aperture  of  the  size  of  a 
large  needle,  perforating  the  tube  from  one  end  to  the  other.  The  enamel 
which  covers  the  tube  of  transparent  glass  appears  to  have  been  orna- 
mented with  painting,  in  figures  resembling  a  spindle,  or  two  inverted 
sections  of  a  circle ;  but  they  are  now  hardly  perceptible,  as  the  bead 
appears  to  have  been  considerably  worn. 

21  Q  (241) 


242  APPENDIX. 

But  the  circumstance  most  indicative  of  art  in  the  making  of  this  head, 
is  a  species  of  enamelling  which  has  been  performed  both  on  the  external 
and  internal  surfaces  of.  the  tube,  previous  to  its  being  covered  by  the 
coarse  red  enamel.  This  second  enamel  is  white,  and,  as  the  external 
surface  of  the  tube  was  not  smooth,  but  in  parallel  strie  or  veins,  exhibits 
the  appearance  of  a  white  vine  between  the  green  tube  and  the  red 
enamel.  This  enamelling  appears  to  have  been  done,  not  by  melting  on 
any  vitreous  composition,  as  is  practised  at  the  present  day,  but  by  the 
effect  of  calcination  for  some  time  in  a  low  red  heat.  This,  it  is  known, 
will  deprive  glass,  especially  green  glass,  of  its  transparency,  and  render 
the  surface  white  to  a  certain  depth. 

The  composition  of  the  tube  of  glass,  I  have  judged  to  be  simply  a 
eilicious  sand  and  an  alkali,  probably  with  a  small  addition  of  lime  or 
vegetable  ashes.  It  is  hard,  and  will  not  receive  scratches  like  the  lead 
glasses ;  and  I  conclude  from  this  circumstance  that  there  is  no  lead  in 
the  composition.  Its  color  seems  also  owing  to  the  impurity  of  the  mate- 
rials employed,  like  the  common  window  and  bottle  glass,  and  is  probably 
caused  by  a  minute  portion  of  iron,  in  the  state  of  an  oxide,  combined 
with  the  sand  and  alkali. 

The  red  enamel  covering  the  tube,  and  the  pot  in  which  these  glasses 
were  found,  seem  to  have  been  constructed  of  similar  materials,  as  they 
differ  very  little  in  color,  texture,  or  other  external  character.  Probably 
a  very  fusible  brick-clay,  highly  impregnated  with  the  oxide  of  iron,  and 
pulverized  fragments  of  green  glass,  are  the  principal  ingredients  of  both. 
The  earthen  pot  is  manifestly  constructed  of  different  materials  from 
those  employed  for  brown  pottery  at  the  present  period.  It  is  a  more 
imperishable  substance,  of  a  close  texture,  and  vitreous  appearance. 

I  shall  not  presume  to  speculate  in  opinions  which  discoveries  of  this 
interesting  nature  are  calculated  to  create ;  it  may,  however,  here  be 
added,  that  the  fabrication  of  these  glasses  would  suppose  a  perfection  in 
the  arts,  which  none  of  the  Indian  tribes  inhabiting  this  country  at  the 
period  of  its  discovery,  had  arrived  at.  That  if  introduced  by  the  French 
from  Canada,  in  their  earliest  communications  with  the  Indians  inhabit- 
ing the  western  parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  a  sufficient  time  would 
hardly  have  elapsed  for  the  growth  of  trees  of  such  size  as  were  found 
upon  the  mound  from  which  these  relics  were  taken.  And  that,  if  not 
introduced  by  the  French  at  the  period  alluded  to,  we  must  refer  their 
manufacture  back  to  a  very  remote  date,  and  one  on  which  Indian  tradi- 
tion is  wholly  silent. 

Since  visiting  the  western  country,  I  have  had  occasion  to  notice  a 
similar  discovery  on  Big  river,  in  the  Territory  of  Missouri.  On  opening 
an  Indian  grave  (or  what  was  considered  such)  on  the  bank  of  this  river, 
several  beads  of  glass,  of  a  similar  character,  were  found.  They  were 
accompanied  by  many  bones  of  the  human  frame,  of  extraordinary  size, 
and  which  indicated,  to  common  observation,  a  stature  of  seven  or  eight 


ANCIENT    INDIAN    CEMETERY.  243 

feet  in  height.  The  person  appeared  to  have  heen  deformed,  cither  by 
birth  or  accident,  as  the  right  jaw-bone  ran  in  a  straight  line  from  the 
mouth  back,  while  the  left  preserved  the  usual  curve.  The  excavation 
was  made  near  the  edge  of  the  stream,  where  the  soil  is  a  rich  alluvion, 
and  covered  by  a  heavy  growth  of  forest  trees,  such  as  are  peculiar  to 
the  richest  Ohio  aud  Mississippi  bottom-lands.  We  may  add,  that  it  cor- 
responds best  with  history  and  probability  to  attribute  these  relics  to  the 
early  period  of  the  fur-trade. 


ANCIENT  INDIAN  CEMETERY  IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE 

MARAMEC  RIVER. 

In  the  autumn  of  1818,  the  existence  of  a  number  of  small  tumuli,  or 
antique  Indian  graves,  was  made  known  in  the  valley  of  the  Maramoe. 
This  discovery  was  made  about  fifteen  miles  south  of  St.  Louis.  Curiosity 
led  several  persons  to  Visit  the  spot  and  examine  them,  and  my  attention 
was  thus  called  to  the  subject.  It  was  conjectured  that  the  bones  found 
in  these  graves  were  the  remains  of  a  race  of  beings  much  smaller  than 
those  of  the  present  day. 

The  essential  facts  connected  with  these  discoveries,  are  these  :  —  The 
tumuli,  which  are  small,  occupy  a  wood  near  the  dwelling  of  a  Mr.  Long. 
The  attention  of  this  gentleman  was  arrested  by  this  smallness  of  ceme- 
terial  dimensions,  or  place  of  burial.  Drs.  Walker  and  Grayson,  of  St. 
Louis,  proceeded  to  the  spot,  opened  several  of  the  graves,  and  examine'd 
their  contents.  The  length  of  the  stature  of  the  interred  persons,  mea- 
sured by  their  stony  casings,  varied  from  twenty-three  inches,  to  four  feet 
two  or  three  inches.  But  the  skeletons,  with  the  exception  of  the  teeth, 
were  reduced  to  a  complete  limy  substance,  and  their  forms  destroyed. 
The  graves  had  originally  been  cased  with  rude  flat  stones  at  the  sides, 
and  also  at  the  head  and  feet.  A  flat  stone  had  also,  in  some  instances, 
been  laid  over  the  top,  and  earth  piled  on  the  grave,  above  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  to  the  general  height  of  three  feet.  This  was  a  charac- 
teristic feature,  and  seemed  designed  to  mark  the  locality.  In  this  stony 
coffin,  all  the  softer  and  destructible  parts  of  the  body  had  submitted  to 
decay,  with  the  exception  before  mentioned — the  teeth.  The  examination 
of  these  became,  therefore,  the  principal  source  of  interest.  They  found 
the  enamel  perfect,  and  were  surprised  to  discover  that  they  were  the 
teeth  of  rather  young  persons,  who  had,  however,  passed  the  age  of 
puberty.  The  molars  and  incisors  were  of -the  ordinary  dimensions  and 
character  of  second  teeth.  The  jaw-bone  of  the  first  specimen  examined, 
appeared  to  have  its  full  complement,  except  the  dentis  sapienta,  which 


244  APPENDIX. 

physiologists  do  not  generally  recognize  until  after  the  ages  of  eighteen 
to  twenty-three. 

Many  graves  were  examined,  which  diffored  more  or  less  in  length, 
between  the  extremes  stated,  but  agreed  in  their  general  conformity  of 
parts ;  from  all  which,  these  gentlemen  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
remains  denoted  a  stature  of  inferior  size,  while  appearances  indicated  a 
remote  antiquity  as  the  epoch  of  burial,  which  might  as  well  be  supposed 
to  be  five  centuries  as  one.  This  antiquity  was  inferred,  as  well  from 
the  reduction  of  the  bones  to  their  elements,  as  from  the  growth  of  large 
trees  upon  the  graves,  the  roots  of  which  penetrated  into  their  recesses. 

Upon  this  exhibition  of  facts,  a  legal  gentleman*  of  intelligence  calls 
attention,  with  great  pertinency,  to  the  ancient  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Indians,  in  the  burial  of  their  dead. 

"As  yet,  I  have  seen  no  attempt  to  account  for  the  size  and  appearance 
of  these  skeletons,  upon  any  other  supposition  than  that  they  are  the 
remains  of  a  people  far  less  in  size  than  any  known  at  the  present  day. 
Unwilling  to  adopt  a  belief  so  contrary  to  the  general  order  of  nature, 
and  to  the  history  of  the  human  species,  so  far  as  it  has  been  transmitted 
to  us,  I  shall  hazard  some  conjectures  upon  the. subject,  which  I  think 
will,  in  some  measure,  tend  to  dissolve  the  mystery  that  hovers  over  these 
bones,  and  to  reconcile  their  appearance  with  the  general  history  of  our 
race.  To  be  sure,  Nature,  in  her  sport,  has  now  and  then  produced  mon- 
sters. A  taste  for  the  marvellous  among  travellers  and  historians,  has 
occasionally  conjured  up  a  race  of  giants,  or  a  nation  of  pigmies ;  but 
when  the  light  of  truth  has  reached  us  from  the  distant  corners  of  the 
earth,  where  they  were  said  to  dwell,  we  have  found  them  to  assume  the 
size,  shape,  and  attitude  of  men,  and  nothing  more.  So  far  as  observa- 
tion or  history  extends,  Ave  find  the  species  nearly  the  same  in  all  ages 
and  in  all  countries.  Climate  has  had  some  effect  upon  the  size,  and 
upon  the  complexion.  The  excessive  cold  of  the  north  has  shortened  an 
inch  or  two  the  necks  of  the  Esquimaux,  and  the  heat  of  the  south  has 
colored  the  African.  But  what,  in  this  genial  climate,  should  make 
dwarfs  ?  It  is  here,  if  anywhere,  that  we  should  naturally  expect  to  find 
giants !  All  the  other  productions  of  nature  are  here  brought  forth  in 
the  highest  perfection.  And  shall  man  here  grow  a  pigmy  ?  Unless  we 
are  ready  to  adopt  the  opinion  of  certain  naturalists,  that  the  human 
species  are  the  legitimate  descendants  of  the  apes,  and  that  they  once 
wore  tails,  and  were  of  their  diminutive  size  —  unless  we  are  ready  to 
believe  the  history  of  the  Lilliputians,  and  of  Tom  Thumb  —  I  think  we 
shall  discard  the  idea  of  a  nation  of  dwarfs,  as  wholly  preposterous.  But 
how,  on  any  other  supposition,  shall  we  account  for  the  appearances  upon 
the  farm  of  Mr.  Long? 

"  None  of  the  graves  found  there  exceed  four  feet  in  length,  many  of 

*  Rufus  Pettibone,  Esq.,  of  St.  Louis. 


ANCIENT    INDIAN    CEMETERY.  245 

them  fall  short  of  three,  and  the  teeth  found  in  all  of  them  show  that 
they  contain  the  remains  of  human  beings  who  had  arrived  at  years  of 
maturity.  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Indians  with  respect  to  the 
treatment  of  their  dead,  will,  I  think,  solve  all  difficulties,  and  satisfac- 
torily account  for  these  appearances,  without  doing  violence  to  nature. 
According  to  the  testimony  of  travellers  and  historians,  it  has  been  the 
custom  among  many  tribes  of  Indians  to  hang  their  dead  in  baskets  upon 
trees  and  scaffolds,  until  their  flesh  was  consumed,  and  then  to  take  them 
down,  clean  their  bones,  and  bury  them.  There  existed  an  order  of  men 
among  them  called  bone-pickers,  with  long  nails  like  claws,  whose  business 
and  profession  it  was  to  clean  the  unconsumed  flesh  from  the  bones,  pre- 
vious to  burial.  This  custom  still  exists  among  the  Indians  on  the  waters 
of  the  Missouri,  and  rationally  accounts  for  the  appearances  upon  the 
farm  of  Mr.  Long.  The  bones  of  a  skeleton  of  the  ordinary  size,  when 
separated,  would  naturally  occupy  a  grave  of  throe  or  four  feet  in  length. 
It  appears  that  in  all  the  graves  which  were,  opened,  the  bones,  except 
the  teeth,  were  reduced  to  a  chalky  substance,  so  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  know,  with  any  certainty,  in  what  state,  condition,  or  form,  they 
were  deposited  there.  These  skeletons  are  said  to  rest  on  their  sides. 
Taking  this  fact  to  be  true,  it  goes  to  strengthen  my  ideas  on  this  subject. 
In  burying  a  corpse,  it  is  natural,  and,  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted, 
universally  the  custom,  to  bury  them  with  the  face  upwards.  We  can 
look  upon  our  dead  friends  with  a  melancholy  complacency — we  cast  a 
long  and  lingering  look  after  them  until  they  are  completely  shut  from 
our  view  in  the  grave;  and  nothing  is  more  hard  and  heart-rending  than 
to  tear  our  last  looks  from  them.  It  is  natural,  then,  that  the  body 
should  be  placed  in  such  a  position  as  most  to  favor  this  almost  universal 
desire  of  the  human  heart.  But,  in  burying  a  skeleton,  it  would  be  as 
natural  to  avert  the  horrid  grin  of  a  death's-head  from  us.  To  face  the 
grinning  skeleton  of  a  friend,  must  fill  us  with  horror  and  disgust.  '  Turn 
away  the  horrid  sight,'  would  be  the  language  of  nature.  If  we  adopt 
my  supposition  as  correct  in  this  case,  all  the  facts  correspond  with 
nature.  But  if  we  adopt  the  opinion  of  a  recent  writer,  our  conclusions 
will  be  at  war  with  nature,  reason,  and  universal  observation." 

The  following  observations  by  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck,  of  St.  Louis,  may 
also  here  be  added : 

"  One  grave  was  opened  which  measured  four  feet  in  length ;  this  was 
formed  by  laying  a  flat  stone  at  the  bottom,  placing  one  on  each  side, 
one  at  each  end,  and  covering  the  mouth  with  another.  In  the  last  cir- 
cumstance, this  grave  differed  from  the  others  that  were  opened ;  the 
contents  were  a  full-grown  skeleton,  with  the  head  and  teeth,  part  of  the 
spine,  the  thigh  and  leg  bones,  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation.  The 
leg-bones  were  found  parallel  with  the  bones  of  the  thighs,  and  every 
appearance  indicated,  either  that  the  corpse  had  been  entombed  witli  the 
legs  and  thighs  placed  so  as  to  meet,  or  that  a  skeleton  had  been  depo- 

21* 


246  APPENDIX. 

sited  in  this  order.  The  first  opinion  seems  the  most  probable,  from  the 
fact  that  a  large  stone  pipe  was  found  in  the  tomb,  which  I  understand 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Long." 

Doth  implements  of  war,  and  of  domestic  use,  are  buried  with  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  Indians  ;  but  it  admits  of  a  query  if  they  are  ever  deposited 
with  the  mere  skeleton. 

"It  is  a  well-known  fact,"  says  Bishop  Madison,  while  writing  on  the 
supposed  fortifications  of  the  western  country,*  "  that,  among  many  of 
the  Indian  tribes,  the  bones  of  the  deceased  are  annually  collected  and 
deposited  in  one  place,  that  the  funeral  rites  are  then  solemnized  with 
the  warmest  expressions  of  love  and  friendship,  and  that  this  untutored 
race,  urged  by  the  feelings  of  nature,  consign  to  the  bosom  of  the  earth, 
along  with  the  remains  of  their  deceased  relatives,  food,  weapons  of  war, 
and  often  those  articles  they  possessed,  and  most  highly  valued,  when 
alive." 

This  fact  is  substantiated  from  various  respectable  sources.  The  pious 
custom  of  collecting  the  relics  of  the  dead,  which  accident,  or  the  events 
of  a  battle,  might  have  dispersed  through  the  wilderness,  easily  accounts 
for  the  graves  on  the  Maramec,  as  well  as  explains  the  origin  of  the  arti- 
ficial mounds  in  the  vicinity.  If  these  were  opened,  there  would  be 
found  promiscuously  deposited  the  bones  of  the  aborigines,  which  pious 
veneration,  from  year  to  year  and  from  century  to  century,  industriously 
collected.  The  cemetery  alluded  to,  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Long,  may 
be  viewed  as  the  public  burial-place  of  some  powerful  nation  of  the  some 
size,  and  similar  customs,  with  other  Indians. 


bVWWVWWWM 


OSAGES. 

This  tribe  claims,  as  original  possessors,  the  territories  of  the  Ozarks, 
over  which  my  journeys  have  chiefly  laid.  They  claim  all  the  country 
north  of  the  Arkansas,  to  the  Maramec.  The  term  Ozark  appears  to  me 
to  be  compounded  from  Osage  and  Arkansas. 

They  are  manly,  good-looking,  stout-limbed  men,  erratic  in  their  mode 
of  life,  living  a  part  of  the  year  in  fixed  villages,  and  roving  with  their 
families  through  the  forests,  in  search  of  game,  the  remainder.  Their 
territories  are  immense. 

The  Osages,  if  we  may  judge  from  popular  opinion,  are  very  much  in 
the  condition  of  the  sons  of  Ishmael — "Their  hand  is  against  every  man, 

*  See  American  Philosophical  Transactions,  Vol.  VI. 


THE   OSAGES.  247 

and  every  man's  hand  against  them."  It  is  remarkable  that  they  pos- 
sess so  much  skill  as  they  do  in  public  negotiations,  which  they  manage 
with  address,  with  a  bold,  direct  air,  employing  enlarged  thoughts  and 
phrases,  which  are  calculated  to  impress  the  hearer  favorably  as  to  their 
mental  abilities. 

But  little  opportunity  has  been  had  of  personal  observation  on  their 
manners  and  customs.  Their  mode  of  encampment  has  been  seen,  and 
is  so  arranged  as  to  place  the  chiefs  of  the  village,  or  camp,  in  the  posi- 
tion of  honor.  It  is  stated  that,  at  daybreak,  a  public  crier  makes  pro- 
clamation of  the  expected  events  and  duties  of  the  day,  which,  to  ears 
uninitiated,  sounds  like  a  call  to  prayer.  I  fancy  the  prayer  of  Indians, 
if  they  pray  at  all,  is  for  deer  and  buifalo. 

It  appears  from  the  manuscript  records  of  General  William  Clark,  at 
St.  Louis,  which  I  have  been  permitted  to  see,  that  they  have  a  tale,  or 
fiction,  of  their  origin  from  a  snail  and  beaver.  If  this  is  an  allegory, 
we  are  to  suppose  that  persons  bearing  these  names  were  their  progeni- 
tors. I  avail  myself  of  the  public  interpreter  of  the  language  to  submit 
the  following  vocabulary  of  it.* 

*  Omitted. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  SCIENCE. 


Notice  of  "  A  View  of  the  Lead-Mines  of  Missouri,  including  some  Observa- 
tions on  the  Mineralogy,  Geology,  Geography,  Antiquities,  Soil,  Climate, 
Population,  and  Productions,  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  and  other  sections 
of  the  Western  Country;  accompanied  by  three  Engravings.  By  Henry 
R.  Schoolcraft,  Corresponding  Member  of  the  Lyceum  of  Natural  His- 
tory of  New  York."    1821. 

As  this  work  has  been  more  than  a  year  before  the  American  public, 
and  is  already  well  known,  it  may  seem  superfluous  to  make  any  remarks 
upon  it  at  so  late  a  period.  It  was  our  purpose  to  have  given  it  an  early 
notice,  but  circumstances  which  could  not  be  controlled,  prevented.  Still, 
as  it  is  devoted  to  subjects  which  form  a  prominent  object  in  this  Journal, 
and  is,  as  far  as  we  are  informed,  the  only  elaborate  and  detailed  account 
of  a  mining  district  in  the  United  States,  we  are  not  disposed  to  remain 
silent,  especially  as  the  discharge  of  the  duty  is  not  likely  to  be  painful, 
either  to  ourselves  or  to  the  author.  Reviews  in  form,  although  within 
the  plan  of  this  Journal,  do  not  constitute  one  of  its  most  leading  objects, 
and  we  do  not  hold  ourselves  responsible  for  analyses  or  even  for  notices 
of  new  American  books,  unless  they  appear  particularly  interesting  or 
important,  or  hold  a  very  intimate  connexion  with  the  great  design  of  our 
work. 

We  have  already  intimated  that  we  regard  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  work  in 
this  light.  We  take  it  for  granted  that  the  statements  of  facts  made  by 
this  author,  are  both  faithful  and  accurate ;  the  information  which  we 
have  incidentally  derived  from  other  sources,  certainly  countenances  this 
impression,  but  the  whole  amount  of  it  is  small,  compared  with  the  details 
contained  in  the  present  volume. 

Mr.  Schoolcraft's  opportunities  for  observation  were  extensive,  particu- 
larly in  relation  to  the  mines  of  lead  in  the  Missouri  region.  Among 
those  mines  he  spent  a  year.  "  I  have  made  (says  he)  a  personal  exami- 
nation of  every  mine  of  consequence,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  its  general 
character  and  value  and  its  peculiarities.  I  have  travelled  on  foot  over 
the  whole  mine  country,  exploring  its  minerals,  its  geological  structure, 
its  geographical  position,  soil,  climate,  productions,  towns,  streams,  set- 

(248) 


REVIEW.  249 

tlements,  and  whatever  else  appeared  to  me  to  be  necessary  to  describe, 
explain  and  illustrate  the  subject  before  me." 

Mr.  Schoolcraft  appears  to  have  made  good  use  of  the  advantages 
which  he  enjoyed,  and  his  countrymen  are  indebted  to  him  for  a  great 
amount  of  valuable  information.  He  appears  also  to  have  studied  the 
observations  of  preceding  writers,  and,  with  their  works  before  him,  it 
was  in  his  power  to  correct  errors  and  to  supply  deficiencies. 

He  has  prefixed  an  historical  sketch  which  we  presume  will  be  accepta- 
ble to  every  reader.  The  French,  as  is  well  known,  were  the  original 
discoverers  and  settlers  of  the  Missouri,  and  Illinois  regions,  which  were 
embraced  in  their  vast  scheme  of  forming  a  chain  of  posts  and  settle- 
ments from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  to  that  of  the  Mississippi. 
They  did  not  occupy  the  country  of  the  Missouri  and  Illinois  till  more 
than  a  century  after  the  settlement  of  Quebec,  and  about  a  century  before 
fhe  present  period.  At  that  time,  (1720,)  the  lead  mines  were  discovered 
by  Philip  Francis  Renault,  and  M.  La  Motte,  and  by  them  they  were 
wrought,  although  they  and  the  adventurers  under  them  were  disap- 
pointed in  their  expectations  of  finding  gold  and  silver. 

At  the  end  of  about  half  a  century,  the  country  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  under  their  dominion,  probably  about  forty  years 
since,  the  principal  mine  was  discovered  by  a  man  of  the  name  of  Burton, 
and  from  him  it  has  derived  the  name  of  Mine  a  Burton. 

It  appears  that  the  processes  of  mining  under  the  Spaniards  were  very 
imperfect,  as  they  obtained  only  fifty  per  cent,  of  lead  from  the  ore,  threw 
away  the  lead  ashes,  and  did  not  attempt  any  manufactures  of  shot  or 
any  other  articles.     They  employed  only  the  open  log  furnace. 

In  1797,  Moses  Austin,  Esq.,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  had  been 
occupied  with  lead  mines  in  Wythe  county,  in  Virginia,  obtained  from 
the  Spanish  government,  a  grant  of  a  league  square  in  the  mining  district 
in  consideration  of  his  introducing  a  reverberatory  furnace.  He  sunk 
the  first  regular  shaft — the  mining  having,  till  that  time,  been  prosecuted 
solely  by  open  digging,  in  the  manner  of  quarries.  Mr.  Austin  also 
introduced  the  manufacture  of  shot,  and  that  of  sheet  lead  soon  followed. 
About  the  same  time  several  other  American  families  collected  at  the 
mines,  and  infused  new  spirit  and  enterprise  into  the  mining  operations, 
so  that  they  were  carried  on  with  considerable  vigour  at  the  time  when 
(in  1803)  the  country  was  transferred  to  the  United  States.  Mr.  School- 
craft, from  whom  these  facts  are  taken,  remarks,  that  since  1804,  the 
number  of  mines  has  been  astonishingly  multiplied — population  has 
flowed  rapidly  in — the  processes  on  the  ore  have  been  much  improved — ■ 
better  furnaces  have  been  constructed,  and  "every  season  is  adding  to 
the  number  of  the  mines."  "  Every  day  is  developing  to  us  the  vast 
resources  of  this  country,  particularly  in  lead,"  and  the  author  expresses 
his  opinion  that  "the  mines  of  Missouri  are  paralleled  by  no  other  mineral 
district  in  the  world." 


250  APPENDIX. 

From  the  specimens  which  we  possess  of  this  ore,  and  from  the  docu- 
ments produced  by  the  author  respecting  the  produce  of  the  mines,  we 
believe  his  opinion  is  correct,  especially  if  we  consider  the  fact  that  "the 
earth  has  not  yet  been  penetrated  over  eighty  feet;"  "  we  know  not  what 

I  may  be  found  in  the  lower  strata."  "There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
main  bodies  of  ore  have  not  been  hit  upon,  that  they  lie  deeper,  and  that 
we  have  thus  far  been  only  engaged  upon  the  spurs  and  detached  masses." 

Mr.  Schoolcraft  informs  us  that  although  the  mining  business  is  much 
improved,  there  is  still  a  great  deficiency  both  of  capital  and  of  skill — 
there  is  in  the  whole  district  but  one  regular  hearth  furnace  for  smelting, 
and  that  not  the  best ; — among  forty  mines,  there  are  only  four  or  five 
regular  shafts — there  is  among  all  the  mines,  no  engine  of  any  description 
for  raising  water,  and  some  of  the  richest  mines  with  the  best  prospects 
in  view,  have  been  in  consequence  abandoned.  Yet,  under  all  these  dis- 
advantages, the  annual  produce  of  the  mines  is  estimated  at  three  millions 
of  pounds  of  lead. 

The  author  suggests  the  expediency  of  establishing  a  school  of  mines 
and  minerals  in  the  midst  of  the  mines  themselves ;  this  would,  without 
doubt,  be  a  very  proper  measure,  but  in  the  meantime,  skilful  practical 
miners,  and  captains  of  mines,  such  as  are  found  in  every  mining  district 
in  Europe,  would  supply  the  immediate  demands  of  the  country. 

The  mining  district,  formerly  called  the  lead  mines  of  Louisiana,  is 
situate  between  the  37th  and  the  38th  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  be- 
tween the  89th  and  92d  degree  of  west  longitude,  covers  three  thousand 
one  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles — it  is  from  seventy  to  one  hundred 
miles  long  by  forty  or  forty-five,  extending  in  width  from  the  Mississippi 
southwest  to  the  Fourche  a  Courtois,  and  in  length  from  the  head  waters 
of  St.  Francis  northerly  to  the  Maramec. 

Lead  ore  is  found  in  almost  every  part  of  this  district.  Mr.  Schoolcraft 
says,  "  the  general  aspect  of  the  country  is  sterile,  though  not  mountain- 
ous :  the  lands  lie  rolling,  like  a  body  of  water  in  gentle  agitation.  In 
some  places  the  hills  rise  into  abrupt  cliffs,  where  the  great  rock  forma- 
tions of  the  country  may  be  seen ;  in  others,  they  run  into  level  plains — 
a  kind  of  highland  prairie."  * 

"The  soil  is  a  reddish  colored  clay,  stiff  and  hard,  and  full  of  fragments 
of  flinty  stones,  quartz  and  gravel ;  this  extends  to  the  depth  of  from  ten 
to  twenty  feet,  and  is  bottomed  on  limestone  rock.  It  is  so  compact  in 
some  places,  as  almost  to  resist  the  pick-axe ;  in  others  it  seems  to  par- 
take of  marl,  is  less  gravelly,  and  readily  penetrated.  The  country  is 
particularly  characterized  by  quartz,  which  is  strewed  in  detached  pieces 
over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  is  also  found  imbedded  in  the  soil  at 
all  depths.  This  is  here  called  blossom  of  lead.  Iron  ores  and  pyrites 
are  also  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  occasionally  lead 
ore.  Such  is  the  general  character  of  the  mineral  hills,  which  are  inva- 
riably covered  by  a  stinted  growth  of  oaks." 


REVIEW.  251 

Walnut  is  also  found  on  the  hills,  and  there  is  a  ridge  of  yellow  pine, 
not  more  than  six  or  eight  miles  wide,  running  nearly  southeast  and 
northwest,  but  it  is  nearly  or  quite  destitute  of  lead — the  mines  lie  gene- 
rally east  of  it.  In  summer  the  flinty  aspect  of  the  country  is  veiled  by  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  which  gives  it  a  very  pleasing  and  picturesque 
appearance." 

The  valleys  have  a  rich  alluvial  soil,  well  fitted  for  cultivation ;  but  our 
limits  will  not  allow  us  to  mention  the  vegetable  productions  of  the  coun- 
try. This  region  is  well  irrigated,  and  very  healthy,  being  possessed  of 
a  fine  climate.  Mr.  Schoolcraft  remarks,  that  during  a  residence  of  ten 
months  he  never  heard  of  a  death  ;  the  country  is  free  from  the  fevers 
which  infest  some  of  the  neighboring  regions.  It  seems,  however,  that 
the  animals  are  visited  by  what  is  called  the  mine  sickness.  "  Cows  and 
horses  are  frequently  seen  to  die  without  any  apparent  cause.  Cats  and 
dogs  are  taken  with  violent  fits,  which  never  fail,  in  a  short  time,  to  kill 
them."  It  is  said  that  the  inhabitants  impute  these  affections  to  the  sul- 
phur exhaled  in  smelting  the  lead,  as  the  cattle  are  often  seen  licking 
about  the  old  furnaces.  But  sulphur  is  not  poisonous  either  to  men  or 
animals.  The  author  imputes  it  to  the  sulphate  of  barytes,  with  which 
the  district  abounds,  which  he  states  is  a  "poison  to  animals." 

The  carbonate  of  barytes  is  eminently  poisonous ;  but  we  have  never 
heard  that  the  sulphate  is  so.  May  not  the  licking  around  the  furnaces 
expose  the  cattle  to  receive  lead  in  some  of  its  forms,  minutely  divided? 
or,  if  it  be  not  active  in  the  metallic  state,  both  the  oxides  and  the 
carbonate,  which  must  of  course  exist  around  the  furnaces,  would  be 
highly  active  and  poisonous.  Is  it  not  possible,  also,  that  some  of  the 
natural  waters  of  the  country  may,  in  consequence  of  saline  or  acid 
impregnations,  dissolve  some  of  the  lead,  and  thus  obtain  saturnine 
qualities  ?  We  must  allow,  however,  that  we  are  not  acquainted  with  the 
existence  of  any  natural  water  thus  impregnated. 

Among  the  mineral  productions  of  this  region,  certainly  not  the  least 
remarkable  mentioned  by  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  is  the  Iron  Mountain,  where 
the  ore  is  piled  in  such  enormous  masses  as  to  constitute  the  entire  south- 
ern extremity  of  a  lofty  ridge,  which  is  elevated  five  or  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  plain :  the  ore  is  the  micaceous  exide,  and  is  said  to  yield  good 
malleable  iron. 

There  is  another  body  of  iron  ore  five  miles  west  of  the  iron  mountain, 
scarcely  inferior  to  that  mentioned  above,  and  it  appears  that  several 
other  beds  exist  in  the  same  vicinity. 

Zinc  is  abundant,  but  as  the  ore  is  the  sulphuret,  it  is  not  very  valua- 
ble. It  is  not  mentioned  that  calamine,  which  is  the  useful  ore  of  zinc, 
has  been  found. 

As  to  the  geological  nature  of  the  country,  in  which  the  lead  mines  are 
situate,  he  informs  us  that  "  Bellevue  abounds  in  granite  ;"  that  the  only 
vein  of  granite  rock  in  the  mine  country  (as  far  as  he  had  opportunity  to 


252  APPENDIX. 

observe)  passes  across  the  southwestern  end  of  Madison  county — runs 
into  Bellevue- — is  four  or  five  miles  wide,  and  twenty  or  thirty  miles  in  a 
direction  from  southeast  to  northwest. 

The  granite  is  spoken  of  in  another  place,  (p.  170,)  as  being  a  geologi- 
cal phenomenon,  as  containing  imbedded  in  it  or  lying  upon  its  surface, 
gneiss,  green  6tone,  porphyry,  iron  ores,  &c;  it  is  spoken  of  as  a  red 
granite,  containing  very  little  mica,  and  as  being  used  for  mill-stones. 
It  is  mentioned  as  the  "only  mass  of  granite  known  to  exist  between  the 
primitive  ranges  of  the  Alleghany  and  Rocky  mountains,"  and  as  being 
surrounded  on  all  sides,  and  to  an  almost  immeasurable  extent,  with 
secondary  limestone. 

Again,  (p.  193,)  the  granite  is  cited  as  the  "old  red  granite  in  mountain 
masses,  with  some  veins  of  green  stone,  green  stone  porphyry,  and 
gneiss ;"  it  is  said  to  terminate  in  very  rough  and  broken  high  lands. 
At  page  213,  it  is  mentioned,  still  again,  as  giving  origin  to  the  river  St. 
Francis,  whose  "springs  gush  out  among  these  stupendous  piles  of  red 
granite."  Besides  the  ores  of  iron,  lead  and  zinc,  "  quartz,  feldspar, 
shorl,  mica,  and  graphite  are  among  the  minerals  furnished  by  that 
region,  and  "green  stone,  gneiss,  and  green  stone  porphyry,  are  among 
the  larger  masses  of  rock."  The  green  stone,  it  seems,  "  is  found  in 
large  isolated  fragments,  lying  promiscuously  among  the  fragments  of 
granite  which  have  tumbled  down  from  the  lofty  cliffs  above,  and  is  ren- 
dered porphyritic  by  crystals  of  green  and  flesh-colored  feldspar." 

We  have  no  right  to  doubt  that  the  rock  described  .is  granite,  as  the 
principal  features  delineated,  correspond  with  that  supposition.  As  it  ia 
described  as  being  solitary,  the  only  granite  between  the  Alleghanies  and 
the  Rocky  mountains,  we  are  led  to  ask,  is  it  a  portion  of  the  nucleus 
of  our  globe,  covered  on  every  side,  for  many  hundred  miles,  with  secon- 
dary rocks,  and  here  heaving  its  head  through  the  superincumbent  strata, 
and  standing  alone  ?  But  what  are  we  to  conclude  of  the  limestone  ?  We 
should  have  liked  especially  to  have  had  the  relations  of  this  limestone 
with  that  remarkable  granite-region  pointed  out.  Does  this  latter  repose 
on  the  granite,  where  it  dips  obliquely  under,  as  it  probably  does,  in 
order  to  find  its  way  beneath  the  other  rocks,  and  to  vindicate  its  claim 
to  a  fundamental  position  ?  But,  perhaps  we  are  asking  more  than  is 
reasonable,  for,  it  may  be  that  there  are  no  such  sections  in  the  strata  as 
would  expose  all  these  facts  to  view,  and  enable  the  observer  to  decide. 

These  hints  we  have  dropped,  not,  we  trust,  from  a  captious  disposition, 
but  because  we  have  found  a  real  difficulty  in  conceiving  clearly  of  the 
geological  nature  of  this  limestone,  which,  it  seems,  is  the  basis  of  the 
lead-mine  country,  and  therefore  it  is  very  important  that  its  characters 
should  be  indubitably  fixed.  We  have  not  been  so  fortunate  as  to  see 
Mr.  Schoolcraft's  specimens ;  possibly  a  view  of  them  would  have  ren- 
dered the  preceding  remarks,  in  part  at  least,  unnecessary. 

Leaving  the  geological  features  of  the  lead-mine  district,  we  proceed  to 


REVIEW.  253 

cite  some  interesting  and  important  facts  from  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  work: — 
"  The  soil,"  he  remarks,  "  is  a  reddish  colored  clay,  stiff  and  hard,  and 
full  of  fragments  of  flinty  stone,  quartz  and  gravel ;  this  extends  to  the 
depth  of  from  ten  to  twenty  feet,  and  is  bottomed  on  limestone  rock.  It 
is  so  compact  in  some  places  as  almost  to  resist  the  pick-axe  ;  in  others  it 
seems  to  partake  of  marl,  is  less  gravelly,  and  readily  penetrated.  The 
country  is  particularly  characterized  by  quartz,  which  is  strewed  in 
detached  pieces  over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  is  also  found  imbedded 
in  the  soil  at  all  depths.  This  is  here  called  blossom  of  lead.  Iron  ores 
and  pyrites  are  also  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  occa- 
sionally lead  ore.  The  mineral  productions  of  the  country,  in  addition  to 
lead,  are  zinc,  iron,  ochre,  red  chalk,  saltpetre,  sulphur,  alum  and  salt." 

The  ore  (the  author  remarks)  is  the  lead  glance,  galena,  or  sulphuret 
of  lead.  It  is  very  rich  and  beautiful,  and  specimens  in  our  possession 
fully  confirm  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  account ;  they  have  a  very  broad  and  per- 
fectly foliated  fracture,  and  a  high  degree  of  metallic  lustre  ;  they  break 
in  cubical  fragments,  and  the  minutest  portions  still  retain  this  form. 

We  have  already  observed  that  large  fragments  are  found  loose  in  the 
earth :  they  sometimes  weigh  four  or  five  pounds ;  we  have  such  speci- 
mens from  these  mines ;  they  are  of  a  cubical  form,  and  are  surrounded, 
except  where  they  have  been  broken,  by  an  earthy  incrustation. 

It  is  observed  that  the  marly  earth  thrown  out  from  the  pits,  enriches 
the  ground,  so  that  in  a  few  years  it  is  covered  with  a  very  rank  growth 
of  trees,  vines,  &c,  and  this  is  a  regular  characteristic  of  old  ditridno-s. 
Innumerable  portions  of  radiated  quartz,  and  sharp  fragments  of  flinty 
stones  are  mixed  with  the  clay,  and  form  the  first  stratum  of  about  four- 
teen inches.  The  next  is  of  a  red  clay,  and  is  four  or  five  feet  thick,  and 
less  mixed  with  similar  siliceous  substances.  Then  comes  a  layer  of 
gravel  and  rounded  siliceous  pebbles,  about  one  foot  thick,  containing 
small  portions  of  lead  ore.  The  thickness  of  the  bed  of  ore  is  generally 
a  foot ;  and  the  lumps  of  ore  appear  to  have  been  rounded  by  attrition, 
like  common  gravel.  "  This  is  the  character  of  what  is  called  the  gravel 
ore,  and  no  spars  are  found  accompanying  it.  The  greatest  proportion 
of  lead  ore  is,  however,  found  imbedded  in,  and  accompanied  by,  the 
sulphate  of  barytes,  resting  in  a  thick  stratum  of  marly  clay,  bottomed 
on  limestone  rock."  They  invariably  arrive  at  the  rock  at  the  depth  of 
from  fifteen  to  twenty,  or  sometimes  thirty  feet ;  a  new  process  by  boring 
and  blasting  is  now  necessary,  and  most  diggers  abandon  their  pits 
rather  than  prosecute  them  at  this  expense.  If,  however,  as  there  can 
be  little  doubt,  the  limestone  is  the  real  matrix  of  the  lead  ore,  the  time 
will  come  when  the  present  diggings  will  be  considered  as  merely  super- 
ficial beginnings,  and  the  work  will  be  resumed  where  hitherto  it  has 
been  abandoned.  It  seems  that  the  almost  invariable  practice  of  the 
miners  is,  to  persevere  till  they  strike  the  rock,  and  then  to  go  and  dig 
elsewhere ;  they  cannot,  if  disposed,  prosecute  the  business  by  levels  or 
22 


254  APPENDIX. 

galleries,  for  they  are  not  permitted  to  carry  on  their  mining  except 
immediately  under  the  surface  that  is  covered  by  their  respective  leases, 
or  by  twelve  feet  square,  which,  if  unoccupied,  an  adventurer  may  cover 
by  occupancy.  Among  the  substances  accompanying  the  lead,  blende 
and  the  sulphate  of  barytes  are  said  to  be  very  abundant;  the  latter  in 
specimens  which  we  have,  is  particularly  brilliant  and  white  ;*  the  quartz 
is  often  prettily  crystallized,  and  is  so  invariable  a  concomitant  of  the  ore, 
tbat  the  miners,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  give  it  the  meaning  appella- 
tion of  mineral  blossom. 

A  curious  fact  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  respecting  the  Elliott's 
mines.  "  During  the  remarkable  earthquakes  of  1812,  a  fine  spring  of 
water  at  the  mouth  of  the  mines  suddenly  became  warm  and  foul,  and  in 
a  few  days  dried  up  entirely,  and  no  water  has  run  there  since."  "Illu- 
minations in  the  atmosphere  are  frequently  observed  in  this  vicinity  on 
the  approach  of  night."f 

It  seems  there  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  a  greyish  white  sublimate 
collected  at  the  log  hearth  furnaces,  and  rejected  by  the  workmen  upon 
the  supposition  that  it  is  sulphur  and  arsenic ;  but  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  by 
unquestionable  experiments,  ascertained  that  it  was  lead,  as  would 
appear,  in  the  form  of  a  carbonated  oxide.  A  considerable  loss  is  in  this 
manner  sustained,  and  in  a  more  advanced  state  of  the  metallurgic  ope- 
rations of  these  mines,  the  author's  valuable  suggestions  will  not  be 
neglected.  There  is  one  mine  (M'Kain's)  where  the  ore  is  of  the  steel- 
grained  variety — it  is  said  to  yield  less  lead,  and  is  inferred  to  contain 
more  silver  than  the  common  ores  ;.  we  are  aware  that  this  is  the  common 
impression,  but  our  own  experiments  on  different  varieties  of  lead  ore 
would  induce  us  to  think  that  it  cannot  be  relied  upon.  We  have  exam- 
ined fine  steel-grained  ore  which  coutained  very  little  silver ;  in  one  spe- 
cimen only  one  five-thousandth  part,  and  in  another,  and  that  a  foliated 
specimen,  we  found  three  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  silver. 

The  methods  of  digging  for  the  ore  are  sufficiently  simple.  "  A  pick-axe 
and  shovel  are  the  only  tools  used  for  removing  the  earth,  and  the  drill, 
hammer  and  priming  rod  are  added  when  it  is  necessary  to  blast."  The 
process  is  carried  on  as  in  digging  a  common  well. 

We  must  refer  our  readers  to  the  book  itself  for  a  clear  account  of  the 
furnaces  and  furnace  operations,  employed  for  smelting  the  lead ;  it  will 
be  the  more  intelligible,  as  it  is  accompanied  by  two  good  plates  contain- 
ing views  and  sections  of  the  furnaces.  A  circumstance  which  appears 
very  extraordinary  is,  that  the  furnaces  are  most  commonly  built  of  lime- 

*  It  is  mentioned  by  the  author,  as  a  chemical  test  or  reagent :  it  may,  by 
decomposing  it  by  ignition  with  charcoal,  or  with  an  alkaline  carbonate,  be  made  to 
afford  its  earth  for  the  preparation  of  barytic  tests,  but  we  are  not  aware  that  it  is 
itself  ever  used  as  a  test. 

-f-  They  are  attributed  by  the  author  to  phosphorus.  Is  it  supposed  to  be  in  the 
form  of  phosphuretted  hydrogen?     May  not  these  be  electrical  phenomena? 


REVIEW.  255 

Btone,  which  is  of  course  calcined,  and  brought  to  the  condition  of  quick- 
lime by  a  few  blasts,  and  then  it  crumbles  and  the  furnaces  must  be 
rebuilt. 

The  ore  yields  at  first  fifty  per  cent.,  and  then  the  ashes  give  fifteen 
per  cent,  more — sixty-five*  in  the  whole. f 

Custom,  says  the  author,  has  established  a  number  of  laws  among  the 
miners,  with  regard  to  digging,  which  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  dis- 
putes. Whenever  a  discovery  is  made,  the  person  claiming  it  is  entitled 
to  claim  the  ground  for  twenty-five  feet,  in  every  direction  from  his  pit, 
giving  him  fifty  feet  square.  Other  diggers  are  each  entitled  to  twelve 
feet  square,  which  is  just  enough  to  sink  a  pit,  and  afford  room  for 
throwing  out  the  earth.  Each  one  measures  and  stakes  off  his  ground ; 
and  though  he  should  not  begin  his  work  for  several  days  afterwards,  no 
person  will  intrude  upon  it.  On  this  spot  he  digs  down,  but  is  not  allowed 
to  run  drifts  horizontally,  so  as  to  break  into  or  undermine  the  pits  of 
others.  If  appearances  are  unpromising,  or  he  strikes  the  rock,  and 
chooses  to  abandon  his  pit,  he  can  go  on  any  unoccupied  ground,  and, 
observing  the  same  precautions,  begin  anew.  In  such  a  case,  the  aban- 
doned pit  may  be  occupied  by  any  other  person ;  and  sometimes  large 
bodies  of  ore  are  found  by  the  second  occupant,  by  a  little  work,  which 
would  have  richly  rewarded  the  labors  of  the  first  had  he  persevered. 

Mr.  Schoolcraft,  from  various  particulars,  infers  that  the  average 
annual  produce  of  the  Missouri  lead  mines,  as  mentioned  before,  is  three 
million  pounds  per  annum,  and  the  lead  was  worth  in  1819,  at  the  mines, 
four  cents  per  pound. J  For  the  last  three  years,  up  to  1819  inclusive, 
the  produce  of  the  mines  was  estimated  at  three  million  seven  hundred 
twenty-six  thousand  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds  per  annum  of  pig 
lead,  which  the  author  supposes  to  be  not  more  than  one  half  what  the 
mines  are  capable  of  yielding. 

The  number  of  miners  is  between  eleven  and  twelve  hundred,  and  the 
number  of  hands  employed  in  labor  at  different  mines  is  from  twenty  to 
two  hundred  and  forty,  including  in  both  cases  persons  of  all  descriptions. 

Many  miscellaneous  topics  connected  with  the  general  subject  of  his 
work,  are  introduced  by  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  such  as  the  sections  relating  to 
the  manufactures,  and  uses  of  lead,  &c,  but  it  is  not  our  object  to  advert 
to  these  topics. 

Among  the  miscellaneous  mineral  productions  of  the  western  regions, 
there  are  some  that  are  interesting ;  and  it  will  be  seen  from  the  author's 
table  of  minerals,  that  the  list  is  various.  There  are  several  caverns 
which  produce  nitrate  of  potash  by  the  usual  treatment ;  and  Ashley's 

*  According  to  Dr.  Meade,  the  Missouri  ore  affords  only  a  trace  of  silver.  (See 
Bruce's  Mini.  Journal,  vol.  1,  p.  10.) 

■j-  Mr.  Schoolcraft  thinks  it  may  yield  seventy  per  cent. — it  gave  him  by  analysis 
eighty-two  per  cent. 


256  APPENDIX. 

Cave,  about  eighty  miles  from  Potosi,  is  said  to  be  one  of  stupendous 
size,  and  to  "  afford  native  nitrate  of  potash  in  beautiful  white  crystals." 

The  novaculite  is  mentioned  as  occurring  on  Washita,  as  described  by 
Mr.  Bringier  in  the  present  number. 

Steatite  exists  in  abundance  at  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  is  used  by  the  Indians  for  pipes. 

The  fluate  of  lime,  near  Shawneetown,  was  described  in  the  first 
volume  of  this  journal. 

Among  other  minerals,  Mr.  Schoolcraft  mentions  chalcedony  in  several 
varieties,  earthy  oxide  of  lead,  native  copper,  alum,  manganese,  opalized 
and  agatized  wood,  opal,  jasper,  coal,  gypsum,  native  epsom  salts,  pumice 
stone,  agate,  onyx,  burr  millstone,  native  iron,  &c. ;  for  the  localities  and 
descriptions  of  which,  we  must  refer  to  the  book  itself. 

Those  facts  of  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  volume  which  relate  to  statistical  and 
political  topics,  do  not  come  within  the  plan  of  these  remarks. 

During  our  cursory  notice  of  this  work,  we  have  cited  a  number  of  the 
most  prominent  facts  which  it  contains,  both  because  they  are  in  them- 
selves important,  and  because  we  were  willing  to  call  the  attention  of  our 
readers  both  to  them,  and  to  the  volume  in  which  they  are  contained. 
Both  are,  in  our  view,  entitled  to  great  respect;  and  we  confess  ourselves 
very  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Schoolcraft  for  a  great  mass  of  valuable 
information,  which,  in  a  connected  form,  is,  we  believe,  nowhere  else  to 
be  found.  His  statements  (as  regards  the  most  valuable  part)  are  drawn 
from  his  own  research  and  observations,  and  have  evidently  been  the 
result  of  much  effort,  and  of  no  small  share  of  fatigue  and  personal  pri- 
vation. We  trust  that  so  valuable  a  work  will  not  stop  with  a  single 
edition,  and  perhaps  we  might  venture  to  suggest  to  the  author,  that  in 
a  second,  he  might  advantageously  condense  into  one  view  some  facts 
which  are  several  times  repeated  in  different  parts  of  the  volume — such 
as  those  respecting  the  granite  and  its  connected  rocks,  the  lead  ore  and 
its  associated  minerals,  &c. 

We  consider  the  present  work  as  an  acquisition  to  our  means  of  infor- 
mation respecting  our  mineral  resources,  and  believe  that  it  must  be  a 
regular  volume  of  reference  for  all  those  who  are  interested  in  the  inves- 
tigation of  these  subjects. 


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MEDICAL,  THEOLOGICAL  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  WORKS,  ETC., 

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OUT THE  UNITED  STATES. 

THE  BEST  &  MOST  COMPLETE  FAMILY  COMMENTARY. 


The  Comprehensive  Commentary  on  the  Holy  Bible; 

CONTAINING 

THE  TEXT  ACCORDING  TO  THE  AUTHORIZED  VERSION, 

SCOTT'S  MARGINAL  REFERENCES;  MATTHEW  HENRY'S  COMMENTARY, 

CONDENSED,    BUT    RETAINING   EVERY    USEFUL  THOUGHT;  THE 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  OF  REV.  THOMAS  SCOTT,  D.  D. ; 

WITH    EXTENSIVE 

EXPLANATORY,  CRITICAL  AND  PHILOLOGICAL  NOTES, 

Selected  from  Scott,  Doddridge,  Gill,  Adam  Clarke,  Patrick,  Poole,  Lowth, 
Burder,  Ilarmer,  Calmet,  Rosenmueller,  Bloomfield,  Stuart,  Bush,  Dwight, 
and  many  other  writers  on  the  Scriptures. 

The  whole  designed  to  be  a  digest  and  combination  of  the  advantages  of 
the  best  Bible  Commentaries,  and  embracing  nearly  all  that  is  valuable  in 

HENRY,  SCOTT,  AND  DODDRIDGE. 

Conveniently  arranged  for  family  and  private  reading,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
particularly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  Sabbath-School  Teachers  and  Bible 
Classes ;  with  numerous  useful  tables,  and  a  neatly  engraved  Family  Record. 

Edited  by  Rev.  William  Jenks,  D.  D., 

PASTOR  OF  GREEN  STREET  CHURCH,   BOSTON. 

Embellished  with  five  portraits,  and  other  elegant  engravings,  from  steel 

plates ;  with  several  maps  and  many  wood-cuts,  illustrative  of  Scripture 

Manners,  Customs,  Antiquities,  &c.     In  6  vols,  super- royal  8vo. 

Including  Supplement,  bound  in  cloth,  sheep,  calf,  &c,  varying  in 

Price  from  $10  to  $15. 

The  whole  forming  the  most  valuable  as  well  as  the  cheapest  Commentary 

published  in  the  world. 
-  1 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


NOTICES  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 

OF    THE 

COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY. 

The  Publishers  select  the  following  from  the  testimonials  they  have  received 
as  to  the  value  of  the  work: 

We,  the  subscribers,  having  examined  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  issued  from  the  press  of 
Messrs.  L.,  G.  <fc  Co.,  and  highly  approving  its  character,  would  cheerfully  and  confidently  recom- 
mend it  as  containing  more  matter  and  more  advantages  than  any  other  with  which  we  are 
acquainted ;  and  considering  the  expense  incurred,  and  the  excellent  manner  of  its  mechanical 
execution,  we  believe  it  to  be  one  of  the  cheapest  works  ever  issued  from  the  press.  We  hope  the 
publishers  will  be  sustained  by  a  liberal  patronage,  in  their  expensive  and  useful  undertakir?.  We 
should  be  pleased  to  learn  that  every  family  in  the  United  States  had  procured  a  copy. 

B.  B.  WISN  ER,  D.  D.,  Secretary  of  Am.  Board  of  Com.  for  For.  Missions. 

WM.  COGSWELL,  D.  D.,      «  "    Education  Society. 

JOHN  CODMAN,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  Congregational  Church,  Dorchester. 

Rev.  HUBBARD  WINSLOW,  "  «        Bowdoin  street,  Dorche«ter. 

Rev.  SEWALL  HARDING,  Pastor  of  T.  C.  Church,  Waltham. 

Rev.  J.  H.  FAIRCH1LD,  Pastor  of  Congregational  Church,  South  Boston. 

GARDINER  SPRING,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  Presbyterian  Church,  New  York  city. 

CYRUS  MASON,  D.  D.,  "  u  «  u  « 

THOS.  M'AULEY,  D.  D.,  «  "  "  "  * 

JOHN  WOODBRIDGE,  D.  D.,     ■  "  "  " 

THOS.  DEW [TT,  D.  D.,  "  Dutch  Ret        "  " 

E.  W.  BALDWIN,  D.  D.,  "  "  ■■«■■»« 

Rev.  J.  M.  M'KREBS,  "  Presbyterian     ■  " 

Rev.  ERSK1NE  MASON,  ■  "  "  "  " 

Rev.  J.  S.  SPENCER,  "  "  Brooklyn. 

EZRA  STILES  ELY,  D.  D.,  Stated  Clerk  r{  Gen.  Assem.  of  Presbyterian  Church. 

JOHN  M'DOWELL,  D.  D.,  Permanent  ■  "  "  "  " 

JOHN  BRECKENRIDGE,  CoiTespondmg  Secretary  of  Assembly's  Board  of  Education. 

SAMUEL  B.  WYUE,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 

N.  LORD,  D.  D.,  President  of  Dartmouth  College. 

JOSHUA  BATES,  D.  D.,  President  of  Middlebury  College. 

H.  HUMPHREY,  D.  D.,         " 

E.  D.  GRIFFIN,  D.  D.,  " 

J.  WHEELER,  D.  D., 

J.  M.  MATTHEWS,  D.  D.,    " 

GEORGE  E.  PIERCE,  D.  D.,  " 

Rev.  Dr.   BROWN,  " 


Amherst  College. 

Wilhamstown  College. 

University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington. 

New  York  City  University. 

Western  Reserve  College,  Ohio. 

Jefferson  College,  Penn. 
LEONARD  WOODS,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Theology,  Andover  Seminary. 
THOS.  H.  SKINNER,  D.  D.,       "  Sac.  Rhet.       "  " 

Rev.  RALPH  EMERSON,  ■  Eccl.  Hist.        "  ■ 

Rev.  JOEL  PARKER,  Pastor  of  Presbyterian  Church,  New  Orleans. 
JOEL  HAWES,  D.  D.,      "  Congregational  Church,  Hartford,  Conn. 

N.  S.  S.  BEAMAN,  D.  D.,  "  Presbyterian  Church,  Troy,  N.  Y. 

MARK  TUCKER,  D.  D., "  "  " 

Rev.  E.  N.  KIRK,  "  ■  *        Albany,  N.  Y. 

Rev.  E.  B.  EDWARDS,  Editor  of  Quarterly  Observer. 
Rev.  STEPHEN  MASON,  Pastor  First  Congregational  Church,  Nantucket 
Rev.  OR1N  FOWLER,  "        "  *  «       Fall  River. 

GEORGE  W.  BETHUNE,  D.  D  ,  Pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  Fhilada. 
Rev.  LYMAN  BEECHER,  D.  D.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Rev.  C.  D.  MALLORY,  Pastor  Baptist  Church,  Augusta,  Ga. 
Rev.  S.  M.  NOEL,  "  «  *         »,       Frankfort,  Ky. 


From  the  Professors  at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 
The  Comprehensive  Commentary  contains  the  whole  of  Henry's  Exposition  in  a  condensed  form, 
Scott's  Practical  Observations  and  Marginal  References,  and  a  large  number  of  very  valuable  philo- 
logical and  critical  notes,  selected  from  various  authors.  The  work  appears  to  be  executed  with 
judgment,  fidelity,  and  care ;  and  will  furnish  a  rich  treasure  of  scriptural  knowledge  to  the 
Biblical  student,  and  to  the  teachers  of  Sabbath-Schools  and  Bible  Classes. 

A.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 
SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 
CHARLES  HODGE,  D.  D. 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

€\i  Companion  to  \\i  SBihh* 

la  one    super-royal  volume. 

DESIGNED    TO    ACCOMPANY 

THE  FAMILY  BIBLE, 

OR  HENRY'S,  SCOTT'S,  CLARKE'S,  GILL'S,  OR  OTHER  COMMENTARIES: 

CONTAINING 

1.  A  new,  full,  and  complete  Concordance; 

Illustrated  with  monumental,  traditional,  and  oriental  engraving,  founded  on  Butterworth's,  with 
Cruden's  definitions;  forming,  it  is  believed,  on  many  accounts,  a  more  valuable  work  than  either 
Butterworth,  Cruden,  or  any  other  similar  book  in  the  language. 

The  value  of  a  Concordance  is  now  generally  understood ;  and  those  who  have  used  one,  con- 
sider it  indispensable  in  connection  with  the  Bible. 

2.  A  Guide  to  the  Reading  and  Study  of  the  Bible ; 

being  Carpenter's  valuable  Biblical  Companion,  lately  published  in  London,  containing  a  complete 
history  of  the  Bible,  and  forming  a  most  excellent  introduction  to  its  study.  It  embraces  the  evi- 
dences of  Christianity,  Jewish  antiquities,  manners,  customs,  arts,  natural  history,  inc.,  of  the  Bible, 
with  notes  and  engravings  added. 

3.  Complete  Biographies  of  Henry,  by  Williams;   Scott,  by  his 
son ;  Doddridge,  by  Orton ; 

with  sketches  of  the  lives  and  characters,  and  notices  of  the  works,  of  the  writers  on  the  Scriptures 
who  are  quoted  in  the  Commentary,  living  and  dead,  American  and  foreign. 

This  part  of  the  volume  not  only  affords  a  large  quantity  of  interesting  and  useful  reading  for 
pious  families,  but  will  also  be  a  souice  of  gratification  to  all  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  consult- 
ing the  Commentary;  every  one  naturally  feeling  a  desire  to  know  some  particulars  of  the  lives  and 
characters  of  those  whose  opinions  he  seeks.    Appended  to  this  part,  will  be  a 

BIBLIOTHECA  BIBLICA, 

or  list  of  the  best  works  on  the  Bible,  of  all  kinds,  arranged  under  their  appropriate  heads. 

4.  A  complete  Index  of  the  Matter  contained  in  the  Bible  Text. 
5.  A  Symbolical  Dictionary. 

A  very  comprehensive  and  valuable  Dictionary  of  Scripture  Symbols,  (occupying  about  fifty-six 
closely  printed  pages,)  by  Thomas  Wemyss,  (author  of  "Biblical  Gleanings,"  &c.)  Composing 
Daubuz,  Lancaster,  Hutcheson,  &c. 

6.  The  Work  contains  several  other  Articles,  v 

Indexes,  Tables,  <kc.  &c,  and  is, 

7.  Illustrated  by  a  large  Plan  of  Jerusalem, 

identifying,  as  far  as  tradition,  &c,  go,  the  original  sites,  drawn  on  the  spot  by  F.  Catherwood,  of 
London,  architect.  Also,  two  steel  engravings  of  portraits  of  seven  foreign  and  eight  American 
theological  writers,  and  numerous  wood  engravings. 

The  whole  forms  a  desirable  and  necessary  fund  of  instruction  for  the  use  not  only  of  clergymen 
and  Sabbath-school  teachers,  but  also  for  families.  When  the  great  amount  of  matter  it  must 
contain  is  considered,  it  will  be  deemed  exceedingly  cheap. 

"  I  have  examined  '  The  Companion  to  the  Bible,'  and  have  been  surprised  to  find  so  much  inform- 
ation introduced  into  a  volume  of  so  moderate  a  size.  It  contains  a  library  of  sacred  knowledge 
and  criticism.  It  will  be  nseful  to  ministers  who  own  large  libraries,  and  cannot  fall  to  be  ail 
invaluable  help  to  every  reader  of  the  Bible."  HKN  K  Y  MOR  KIS. 

Pastor  of  Congregational  Church,  Vermont. 

The  above  work  can  be  had  in  several  styles  of  binding.     Price  varying 

from  $1  75  to  $5  00. 


\ 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES, 

In  one  super-royal  volume. 

DERIVED  PRINCIPALLY  FROM  THE  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  ANTIQUITIES,  TRADITIONS, 

AND  FORMS  OF  SPEECH,  RITES,  CLIMATE,  WORKS  OF  ART,  AND 

LITERATURE  OF  THE  EASTERN  NATIONS : 

EMBOLYING    ALL   THAT    IS    VALUABLE    IN    THE    WORKS   OF 

ROBERTS,  HARMER,  BURDER,  PASTON,  CHANDLER, 

And  the  most  celebrated  oriental  travellers.     F.mbracing  also  the  subject  of  the  Fulfilment  of 

Prophecy,  as  exhibited  by  Keith  and  others ;  with  descriptions  of  the  present  state 

of  countries  and  places  mentioned  in  the   Sacred  Writings. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  NUMEROUS  LANDSCAPE  ENGRAVINGS, 

FROM     SKETCHES     TAKEN     ON     THE     SPOT. 

Edited  by  Rev.  George  Bush, 

Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Oriental  Literature  in  the  New  York  City  University. 

The  importance  of  this  work  must  be  obvious,  and,  being  altogether  illustrative,  without  reference 
to  doctrines,  or  other  points  in  which  Christians  differ,  it  is  hoped  it  will  meet  with  favour  from  all 
who  love  the  sacred  volume,  and  that  it  will  be  sufficiently  interesting  and  attractive  to  recommend 
itself,  not  only  to  professed  Christians  of  all  denominations,  but  also  to  the  general  reader.  The 
arrangement  of  the  texts  illustrated  with  the  notes,  in  the  order  of  the  chapters  and  verses  of  the 
authorized  version  of  the  Bible,  will  render  it  convenient  for  reference  to  particular  passages ; 
while  the  copious  Index  at  the  end  will  at  once  enable  the  reader  to  turn  to  every  subject  discussed 
in  the  volume. 

This  volume  is  not  designed  to  take  the  place  of  Commentaries,  but  is  a  distinct  department  of  biblical 
instruction,  and  may  be  used  as  a  companion  to  the  Comprehensive  or  any  other  Commentary,  or  the 
Holy  Bible.  * 

THE  ENGRAVINGS 

in  this  volume,  it  is  believed,  will  form  no  small  part  of  its  attractions.  No  pains  have  been  spared 
to  procure  such  as  should  embellish  the  work,  and,  at  the  same  time,  illustrate  the  text.  Objec- 
tions that  have  been  made  to  the  pictures  commonly  introduced  into  the  Bible,  as  being  mere  crea- 
tions of  fancy  and  the  imagination,  often  unlike  nature,  and  frequently  conveying  false  impressions, 
cannot  be  urged  against  the  pictorial  illustrations  of  this  volume.  Here  the  fine  arts  are  made 
subservient  to  utility,  the  landscape  views  being,  without  an  exception,  matler-of-facl  views  of  places 
mentioned  in  Scripture,  as  they  appear  at  the  present  day ;  thus  in  many  instances  exhibiting,  in  the 
most  forcible  manner,  to  the  eye,  the  strict  and  literal  fulfilment  of  the  remarkable  prophecies ;  "  the 
present  ruined  and  desolate  condition  of  the  cities  of  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Selah,  &c,  and  the  coun- 
tries of  Edom  and  Egypt,  are  astonishing  examples,  and  so  completely  exemplify,  in  the  most 
minute  particulars,  every  thing  which  was  foretold  of  them  in  the  height  of  their  prosjierity,  that 
no  better  description  can  now  be  given  of  them  than  a  simple  quotation  from  a  chapter  and  verse 
of  the  Bible  written  nearly  two  or  three  thousand  years  ago."  The  publishers  are  enabled  to  select 
from  several  collections  lately  published  in  London,  the  proprietor  of  one  of  which  says  that  "  seve- 
ral distinguished  travellers  have  afforded  him  the  use  of  nearly  Tliree  Hundred  Original  Sketches" 
of  Scripture  places,  made  upon  the  spot.  "The  land  of  Palestine,  it  is  well  known,  abounds  in 
scenes  of  the  most  picturesque  beauty.  Syria  comprehends  the  snowy  heights  of  Lebanon,  and  the 
majestic  ruins  of  Tadmor  and  Baalbec." 
The  above  work  can  be  had  in  various  styles  of  binding. 

Price  from  $1  50  to  85  00. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  CONCORPANCE, 

In  one  volume,  royal  8vo. 

A  new,  full,  and  complete  Concordance;  illustrated  with  monumental,  traditional,  and  oriental 
engravings,  founded  on  Butterworth's,  with  Cruden's  definitions;  forming,  it  is  believed,  on  many 
accounts,  a  more  valuable  work  than  either  Butterworth,  Cruden,  or  any  other  similar  book  in  the 
language. 

The  value  of  a  Concordance  is  now  generally  understood  ;  and  those  who  have  used  one,  con- 
sider it  indispensable  in  connection  with  the  Bible.  Some  of  the  many  advantages  the  Illustrated 
Concordance  has  over  all  the  others,  are,  that  it  contains  near  two  hundred  appropriate  engravings  : 
it  is  printed  on  fine  white  paper,  with  beautiful  large  type. 

Price  One  Dollar. 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 
LIPPINCOTT'S  EDITION  OF 

BAGSiTlR'S  COMPREHENSIVE  BIBLE, 

In  order  to  develope  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  Comprehensive  Bible,  it  will  only  be  necessary 
to  embrace  its  more  prominent  features. 

1st.  The  SACRED  TEXT  is  that  of  the  Authorized  Version,  and  is  printed  from  the  edition  cor- 
rected and  improved  by  Dr.  Blaney,  which,  from  its  accuracy,  is  considered  the  standard  edition. 

2d.  The  VARIOUS  READINGS  are  faithfully  printed  from  the  edition  of  Dr.  Blaney,  inclusive 
of  the  translation  of  the  proper  names,  without  the  addition  or  diminution  of  one. 

Sd.  In  the  CHRONOLOGY,  great  care  has  been  take  1  to  fix  the  date  of  the  particular  transac- 
tions, which  has  seldom  been  done  with  any  degree  of  exactness  in  any  former  edition  of  the  Bible. 

4th.  The  NOTES  are  exclusively  philological  and  explanatory,  and  are  not  tinctured  with  senti- 
ments of  any  sect  or  party.  They  are  selected  from  the  most  eminent  Biblical  critics  and  com- 
mentators. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  edition  of  the  Holy  Bible  will  be  found  to  contain  the  essence  of  Biblical 
research  and  criticism,  that  lies  dispersed  through  an  immense  number  of  volumes. 

Such  is  the  nature  and  design  of  this  edition  of  the  Sacred  Volume,  which,  from  the  various 
objects  it  embraces,  the  freedom  of  its  pages  from  all  sectarian  peculiarities,  and  the  beauty,  plain- 
ness, and  correctness  of  the  typography,  that  it  cannot  fail  of  proving  acceptable  and  useful  to 
Christians  of  every  denomination. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  references  to  parallel  passages,  which  are  quite  full  and  numerous,  the 
student  has  all  the  marginal  readings,  together  with  a  rich  selection  of  Philological,  Critical,  Histo- 
rical, Geographical,  and  other  valuable  notes  and  remarks,  which  explain  and  illustrate  the  sacred 
text.  Besides  the  general  introduction,  containing  valuable  essays  on  the  genuineness,  authenticity, 
and  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  other  topics  of  interest,  there  are  introductory  and  con- 
cluding remarks  to  each  book— a  table  of  the  contents  of  the  Bible,  by  which  the  different  portions 
are  so  arranged  as  to  read  in  an  historical  order. 

Arranged  at  the  top  of  each  page  is  the  period  in  which  the  prominent  events  of  sacred  history 
took  place.  The  calculations  are  made  for  tlie'year  of  the  world  before  and  after  Christ,  Julian 
Period,  the  year  of  the  Olympiad,  the  year  of  the  building  of  Rome,  and  other  notations  of  time. 
At  the  close  is  inserted  a  Chronological  Index  of  the  Bible,  according  to  the  computation  of  Arch- 
bishop Ussher.  Also,  a  full  and  valuable  index  of  the  subjects  contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, with  a  careful  analysis  and  arrangement  of  texts  under  their  appropriate  subjects. 

Mr.  Greenfield,  the  editor  of  this  work,  and  for  some  time  previous  to  his  death  the  superintend- 
ent of  the  editorial  department  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  was  a  most  extraordinary 
man.  In  editing  the  Comprehensive  Bible,  his  varied  and  extensive  learning  was  called  into  suc- 
cessful exercise,  and  appears  in  happy  combination  with  sincere  piety  and  a  sound  judgment.  The 
Editor  of  the  Christian  Observer,  alluding  to  this  work,  in  an  obituary  notice  of  its  author,  speaks 
of  it  as  a  work  of  "  prodigious  labour  and  research,  at  once  exhibiting  his  varied  talents  and  pro- 
found erudition." 


LIPPINCOTT'S  EDITION  OF 

THE  OXFORD  QUARTO  BIBLE. 

The  Publishers  have  spared  neither  care  nor  expense  in  their  edition  of  the  Bible ;  it  is  printed 
on  the  finest  white  vellum  paper,  with  large  and  beautiful  type,  and  bound  in  the  most  substantial 
and  splendid  manner,  in  the  following  styles  :  Velvet,  with  richly  gilt  ornaments  ;  Turkey  super 
extra,  with  gilt  clasps;  and  m  numerous  others,  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  most  fastidious. 

OPINIONS    OF*  THE    PRESS. 

"In  our  opinion,  the  Christian  public  generally  will  feel  under  gTeat  obligations  to  the  publishers 
of  this  work  for  the  beautiful  taste,  arrangement,  and  delicate  neatness  with  which  they  have  got 
it  out.  The  intrinsic  merit  of  the  Bible  recommends  itself;  it  needs  no  tinsel  ornament  to  adorn 
its  sacred  pages.  In  this  edition  every  superfluous  ornament  has  been  avoided,  and  we  have  pre- 
sented us  a  perfectly  chaste  specimen  of  the  Bible,  without  note  or  comment.  It  appears  to  he  just 
what  is  needed  in  every  family — '  the  unsophisticated  word  of  God.' 

"The  size  is  quarto,  printed  with  beautiful  type,  on  white,  sized  vellum  paper,  of  the  finest  texture 
and  most  beautiful  surface.  The  publishers  seem  to  have  been  solicitous  to  make  a  perfectly 
unique  hook,  and  they  have  accomplished  'lie  object  very  successfully.  We  trust  that  a  liberal 
community  will  afford  them  ample  remuneration  fur  all  the  expense  and  outlay  they  have  necessa- 
rily incurred  in  its  publication.    It.  is  a  standard  Bible. 

"  The  publishers  are  Messrs.  I.ippiucolt,  Grambo  &  Co.,  No.  14  North  Fourth  street,  Philadel- 
phia." —  Baptist  Record. 

"A  beautiful  quarto  edition  of  the  Bible,  hv  L,  G.  tz  Co.    Nothing  can  exceed  the  type  in  clear- 
ness and  beautv:  the  paper  is  of  the  finest  texture,  and  the  whole  execution  is  exceedingly  m  at. 
No  illustrations' or  ornamental  tvpe  are  used.     Those  who  prefer  a  Bible  executed  in  perfect  sim- 
plicity, yet  elegance  of  style,  without  adornment,  will  probably  never  find  one  more  to  their  taste. 
—  M.  Magazine. 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

Clngtj  of  Slnurua: 

CONSISTING    OF 

ANECDOTES  ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  MINISTERS  OF  RELI- 
GION IN  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

BY   JOSEPH  BELCHER,   D.D., 
Editor  of  "The  Complete  Works  of  Andrew  Fuller,"  "Robert  Hall,"  &c 

"  This  very  interesting  and  instructive  collection  of  pleasing  and  solemn  remembrances  of  many 
pious  men,  illustrates  the  character  of  the  day  in  which  they  lived,  and  defines  the  men  more 
clearly  than  very  elaborate  essays."  — Baltimore  American. 

"  We  regard  the  collection  as  highly  interesting,  and  judiciously  made."  —  Presbyterian. 

JOSEPHUS'S  (FLAVIUS)  WORKS, 

FAMILY    EDITION. 
BY  THE  LATE  WILLIAM  WHISTON,  A.  TO. 

FROM  THE  LAST  LONDON  EDITION,  COMPLETE. 
One  volume,  beautifully  illustrated  with  Steel  Plates,  and  the  only  readable  edition 

published  in  this  country. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  every  family  in  onr  country  has  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Bible ;  and  as  the  pre- 
sumption is  that  the  greater  portion  often  consult  its  pages,  we  take  the  liberty  of  saying  to  all  those 
that  do,  that  the  perusal  of  the  writings  of  Josephus  will  be  found  very  interesting  and  instructive. 

All  those  who  wish  to  possess  a  beautiful  and  correct  copy  of  this  valuable  work,  would  do  well 
to  purchase  this  edition.  It  is  for  sale  at  all  the  principal  bookstores  in  the  United  States,  and  by 
country  merchants  generally  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States. 

Also,  the  above  work  in  two  volumes. 

BURDENS  VILLAGE  SERMONS; 

Or,  101  Plain  and  Short  Discourses  on  the  Principal  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel. 

INTENDED   FOR   THE   USE  OF  FAMILIES,  SUNDAY-SCHOOLS,  OR  COMPANIES  ASSEM- 
BLED FOR  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  IN  COUNTRY  VILLAGES. 

BY   GEORGE   BTJRDER. 

To  which  is  added  to  each  Sermon,  a  Short  Prayer,  with  some  General  Prayers  for  Families, 

Schools,  Sic,  at  the  end  of  the  work. 

COMPLETE     IN     ONE    VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 

These  sermons,  which  are  characterized  by  a  beautiful  simplicity,  the  entire  absence  of  contro- 
versy, and  a  true  evangelical  spirit,  have  gone  through  many  and  large  editions,  and  been  translated 
into  several  of  the  continental  languages.  "  They  have  also  been  the  honoured  means  not  only  of 
converting  many  individuals,  but  also  of  introducing  the  Gospel  into  districts,  and  even  into  parish 
churches,  where  before  it  was  comparatively  unknown." 

"  This  work  fully  deserves  the  immortality  it  has  attained." 

This  is  a  fine  library  edition  of  this  invaluable  work ;  and  when  we  say  that  it  should  be  found  in 
the  possession  of  every  family,  we  only  reiterate  the  sentiments  and  sincere  wishes  of  all  who  take 
a  deep  interest  m  the  eternal  welfare  of  mankind. 

FAMILY   PRAYERS   AND   HYMNS, 

ADAPTED  TO  FAMILY  WORSHIP, 

TABLES  FOR  THE  REGULAR  ^READING  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

By  Rev.  S.  C.  Winchester,  A.  M., 

Late  Pastor  of  the  Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia;   and  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 

Natchez,  Miss. 
One  volume,    12rao. 

8  ■ 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

SPLENDID  LIBRARY  EDITIONS. 


ILLUSTRATED  STANDARD  POETS. 

ELEGANTLY   PRINTED,  ON   FINE   PAPER,  AND   UNIFORM   IN   SIZE   AND 

STYLE. 


The  following  Editions  of  Standard  British  Poets  are  illustrated  with  numerous  Steel 
Engravings,  and  may  be  had  in  all  varieties  of  binding. 

BYRON'S  WORKS. 

COMPLETE   IN    ONE   VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 

INCLUDING  ALL  HIS  SUPPRESSED  AND  ATTRIBUTED  POEMS  ;  WITH  SIX  BEAUTIFUL 

ENGRAVINGS. 

This  edition  has  been  carefully  compared  with  the  recent  London  edition  of  Mr.  Murray,  and 
made  complete  by  the  addition  of  more  than  fifty  pages  of  poems  heretofore  unpublished  in  Eng- 
land. Among  these  there  are  a  number  that  have  never  appeared  in  any  American  edition;  and 
the  publishers  believe  they  are  warranted  in  saying  that  this  is  the  most  complete  edition  of  Lord 
Byron's  Poetical  Worlis  ever  published  in  the  United  States. 


^oriiral  IBntkn  of  31ir<L  Ikittm 

Complete  in  one  volume,  octavo;  with  seven  beautiful  Engravings. 

This  is  a  new  and  complete  edition,  with  a  splendid  engraved  likeness  of  Mrs.  Hemans,  on  steel, 
and  contains  all  the  Poems  in  the  last  London  and  American  editions.  With  a  Critical  Preface  by 
Mr.  Thatcher,  of  Boston. 

"As  no  work  in  the  English  language  can  be  commended  with  more  confidence,  it  will  argue  bad 
taste  in  a  female  in  this  country  to  be  without  a  complete  edition  of  the  writings  of  one  who  was 
an  honour  to  her  sex  and  to  humanity,  and  whose  productions,  from  first  to  hist,  contain  no  syllable 
calculated  to  call  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  modesty  and  virtue.  There  is,  moreover,  in  Mrs.  Hemans's 
poetry,  a  moral  purity  and  a  religious  feeling  which  commend  it,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  the  dis- 
criminating reader.  No  parent  or  guardian  will  be  under  the  necessity  of  imposing  restrictions 
with  regard  to  the  free  perusal  of  every  production  emanating  from  this  gifted  woman.  There 
breathes  throughout  the  whole  a  most  eminent  exemption  from  impropriety  of  thought  or  diction ; 
and  there  is  at  times  a  pensiveness  of  tone,  a  winning  sadness  in  her  more  serious  compositions, 
which  tells  of  a  soul  which  has  been  lifted  from  the  contemplation  of  terrestrial  things,  to  divme 
communings  with  beings  of  a  purer  world." 


MILTON,  YOUNG,  GRAY,  BEATTIE,  AND  COLLINS'S 
POETICAL  WORKS. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,   OCTAVO. 
WITH   SIX   BEAUTIFUL   ENGRAVINGS. 


(frrnipr  anil  '(EjjDmsnn's  ^prnst  ntii)  ^oriiral  itfnrks. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,  OCTAVO. 

Including  two  hundred  and  fifty  Letters,  and  sundry  Poems  of  Cowper,  never  before  published  in 

this  country  ;  and  of  Thomson  a  new  and  interesting  Memoir,  and  upwards  of  twenty 

new  Poems,  for  the  first  time  printed  from  his  own  Manuscripts,  taken  from 

a  late  Edition  of  the  Aldine  Poets,  now  publishing  in  London. 

WITH  SEVEN  BEAUTIFUL  ENGRAVINGS. 
The  distinguished  Professor  Silliman,  speaking  of  this  edition,  observes:  "I  am  as  much  gratified 
oy  the  elegance  and  fine  taste  of  your  edition,  as  by  the  noble  tribute  of  genius  and  moral  excel- 
lence which  these  delightful  authors  have  left;  for  all  future  generations ;  and  Cowper,  especially, 
is  not  less  conspicuous  as  a  true  Christian,  moralist  and  teacher,  than  as  a  poet  of  great  power  and 
exquisite  taste." 

9 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

Clugq  nf  Slmmta: 

CONSISTING    OF 

ANECDOTES  ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  MINISTERS  OF  RELI- 
GION IN  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

BY   JOSEPH  BELCHER,   D.D., 
Editor  of  "The  Complete  Works  of  Andrew  Fuller,"  "Robert  Hall,"  &c 

"  This  very  interesting;  and  instructive  collection  of  pleasing  and  solemn  remembrances  of  many 
pious  men,  illustrates  the  character  of  the  day  in  which  they  lived,  and  defines  the  men  more 
clearly  than  very  elaborate  essays."  —Baltimore  American. 

*  We  regard  the  collection  as  highly  interesting,  and  judiciously  made."  —  Presbyterian. 

JOSEPHUS'S  (FLAVIUS)  WORKS, 

FAMILY    EDITION. 
BY  THE  LATE  WILLIAM  WHISTON,  A.  ML 

FROM  THE  LAST  LONDON  EDITION,  COMPLETE. 
One  volume,  beautifully  illustrated  with  Steel  Plates,  and  the  only  readable  edition 

published  in  this  country. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  every  family  in  our  country  has  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Bible ;  and  as  the  pre- 
sumption is  that  the  greater  portion  often  consult  its  pages,  we  take  the  liberty  of  saying  to  all  those 
that  do,  that  the  perusal  of  the  writings  of  Josephus  will  be  found  very  interesting  and  instructive. 

All  those  who  wish  to  possess  a  beautiful  and  correct  copy  of  this  valuable  work,  would  do  well 
to  purchase  this  edition.  It  is  for  sale  at  all  the  principal  bookstores  hi  the  United  States,  and  by 
country  merchants  generally  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States. 

Also,  the  above  work  in  two  volumes. 

BURDENS  VILLAGE  SERMONS; 

Or,  101  Plain  and  Short  Discourses  on  the  Principal  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel. 

INTENDED   FOR  THE   USE  OF   FAMILIES,  SUNDAY-SCHOOLS,  OR  COMPANIES  ASSEM- 
BLED FOR  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  IN  COUNTRY  VILLAGES. 

BY   GEORGE   BURDER. 

To  which  is  added  to  each  Sermon,  a  Short  Prayer,  with  some  General  Prayers  for  Families, 

Schools,  4c.,  at  the  end  of  the  work. 

COMPLETE     IN     ONE    VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 

These  sermons,  which  are  characterized  by  a  beautiful  simplicity,  the  entire  absence  of  contro- 
versy, and  a  true  evangelical  spirit,  have  gone  through  many  and  large  editions,  and  been  translated 
into  several  of  the  continental  languages.  "  They  have  also  been  the  honoured  means  not  only  of 
converting  many  individuals,  but  also  of  introducing  the  Gospel  into  districts,  and  even  into  parish 
churches,  where  before  it  was  comparatively  unknown." 

"  This  work  fully  deserves  the  immortality  it  has  attained." 

This  is  a  fine  library  edition  of  this  invaluable  work ;  and  when  we  say  that  it  should  be  found  in 
the  possession  of  every  family,  we  only  reiterate  the  sentiments  and  sincere  wishes  of  all  who  take 
a  deep  interest  in  the  eternal  welfare  of  mankind. 


FAMILY   PRAYERS   AND   HYMNS, 

ADAPTED  TO  FAMILY  WORSHIP. 

AND 

TABLES  FOR  THE  REGULAR  READING  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

By  Rev.  S.  C.  Winchester,  A.  M., 

Late  Pastor  of  the  Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia;   and  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 

Natchez,  Miss. 

One  volume,    12rao. 


"1 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

SPLENDID  LIBRARY  EDITIONS. 


ILLUSTRATED  STANDARD  POETS. 

ELEGANTLY   PRINTED,  ON   FINE   PAPER,  AND    UNIFORM   IN   SIZE   AND 

STYTLE. 


The  following  Editions  of  Standard  British  Poets  are  illustrated  with  numerous  Steel 
Engravings,  and  may  be  had  in  all  varieties  of  binding. 

BYRON'S  WORKS. 

COMPLETE   IN    ONE   VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 

INCLUDING  ALL  HIS  SUPPRESSED  AND  ATTRIBUTED  POEMS ;  WITH  SIX  BEAUTIFUL 

ENGRAVINGS. 

This  edition  has  been  carefully  compared  with  the  recent  London  edition  of  Mr.  Murray,  and 
made  complete  by  the  addition  of  more  than  fifty  pages  of  poems  heretofore  unpublished  in  Eng- 
land. Among  these  there  are  a  number  that  have  never  appeared  in  any  American  edition;  and 
the  publishers  believe  they  are  warranted  in  saying  that  this  is  the  most  complete  edition  of  Lord 
Byron's  Poetical  Works  ever  published  in  the  United  States. 


Complete  in  one  volume,  octavo ;  with  seven  beautiful  Engravings. 

This  is  a  new  and  complete  edition,  with  a  splendid  engraved  likeness  of  Mrs.  Hemans,  on  steel, 
and  contains  all  the  Poems  in  the  last  London  and  American  editions.  With  a  Critical  Preface  by 
Mr.  Thatcher,  of  Boston. 

"As  no  work  in  the  English  language  can  be  commended  with  more  confidence,  it  will  argue  bad 
taste  in  a  female  in  this  country  to  be  without  a  complete  edition  of  the  writings  of  one  who  was 
an  honour  to  her  sex  and  to  humanity,  and  whose  productions,  from  first  to  last,  contain  no  syllable 
calculated  to  call  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  modesty  and  virtue.  There  is,  moreover,  in  Mrs.  Hemans's 
poetry,  a  moral  purity  and  a  religious  feeling  which  commend  it,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  the  dis- 
criminating reader.  No  parent  or  guardian  will  be  under  the  necessity  of  imposing  restrictions 
with  regard  to  the  free  perusal  of  every  production  emanating  from  this  gifted  woman.  There 
breathes  throughout  the  whole  a  most  eminent  exemption  from  impropriety  of  thought  or  diction ; 
and  there  is  at  times  a  pensiveness  of  tone,  a  winning  sadness  in  her  more  serious  compositions, 
which  tells  of  a  soul  which  has  been  lifted  from  the  contemplation  of  terrestrial  things,  to  divine 
communings  with  beings  of  a  purer  world." 


MILTON,  YOUNG,  GRAY,  BEATTIE,  AND  COLLINS'S 
POETICAL  WORKS. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,  OCTAVO. 
WITH   SIX   BEAUTIFUL   ENGRAVINGS. 


€m$u  unit  '(Eijiintsira's  tyxm  niti  ^nrfirnl  IBnrks. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,  OCTAVO. 

Including  two  hundred  and  fifty  Letters,  and  sundry  Poems  of  Cowper,  never  before  published  in 

tills  country ;  and  of  Thomson  a  new  and  interesting  Memoir,  and  upwards  of  twenty 

new  Poems,  for  the  first  time  printed  from  his  own  Manuscripts,  taken  from 

a  late  Edition  of  the  Aldine  Poets,  now  publishing  in  London. 

WITH    SEVEN   BEAUTIFUL  ENGRAVINGS. 

The  distinguished  Professor  Silliman,  speaking  of  this  edition,  observes:  "I  am  as  much  gratified 
oy  the  elegance  and  fine  taste  of  your  edition,  as  by  the  noble  tribute  of  genius  and  moral  excel- 
lence which  these  delightful  authors  have  left  for  all  future  generations  ;  and  Cowper,  especially, 
is  not  less  conspicuous  as  a  true  Christian,  moralist  and  teacher,  than  as  a  poet  of  great  power  and 
exquisite  taste." 

9 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

THE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  ROGERS,  CAMPBELL,  MONTGOMERY, 
LAMB,  AND  K1RKE  WHITE. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 
WITH    SIX    BEAUTIFUL    ENGRAVINGS. 

The  beauty,  correctness,  and  convenience  of  this  favourite  edition  of  these  standard  authors  are 
go  well  known,  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  a  word  in  its  favour.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say, 
that  the  publishers  have  now  issued  an  illustrated  edition,  which  greatly  enhances  its  former  value. 
The  engravings  are  excellent  and  well  selected.    It  is  the  best  library  edition  extant. 


CRABBE,  HEBER,  AND  POLLOFS  POETICAL  WORKS. 

COMPLETE    IN    ONE    VOLUME,   OCTAVO. 
WITH    SIX   BEAUTIFUL    ENGRAVINGS. 

A  writer  in  the  Boston  Traveller  holds  the  following  language  with  reference  to  these  valuable 
editions : — 

"Mr.  Editor:— I  wish,  without  any  idea  of  puffing,  to  say  a  word  or  two  upon  the  'Library  of 
English  Poets'  that  is  now  published  at  Philadelphia,  by  Lippincott,  Grambo  <fc  Co.  It  is  certainly, 
taking  into  consideration  the  elegant  manner  in  which  it  is  printed,  and  the  reasonable  price  at 
which  it  is  afforded  to  purchasers,  the  best  edition  of  the  modern  British  Poets  that  has  ever  been 
published  in  this  country.  Each  volume  is  an  octavo  of  about  500  pages,  double  columns,  stereo- 
typed, and  accompanied  with  fine  engravings  and  biographical  sketches ;  and  most  of  them  are 
reprinted  from  Galignam's  French  edition.  As  to  its  value,  we  need  only  mention  that  it  contains 
the  entire  works  of  Montgomery,  Gray,  Beattie,  Collins,  Byron,  Cowper,  Thomson,  Milton,  Young, 
Rogers,  Campbell,  Lamb,  Hemans,  Heber,  Kirke  White,  Crabbe,  the  Miscellaneous  Works  of  Gold 
smith,  and  other  masters  of  the  lyre.  The  publishers  are  doing  a  great  service  by  their  publication, 
and  their  volumes  are  almost  in  as  great  demand  as  the  fashionable  novels  of  the  day ;  and  they 
deserve  to  be  so :  for  they  are  certainly  printed  in  a  style  superior  to  that  in  which  we  have  before 
had  the  works  of  the  English  Poets." 

No  library  can  be  considered  complete  without  a  copy  of  the  above  beautiful  and  cheap  editions 
of  the  English  Poets ;  and  persons  ordering  all  or  any  of  them,  will  please  say  Lippincott,  Grambo 
&  Co.'s  illustrated  editions. 


A    COMPLETE 

lirtionarii  of  ^ortiral  dhnntattam: 

COMPRISING   THE   MOST  EXCELLENT  AND  APPROPRIATE  PASSAGES  IN 
THE  OLD  BRITISH  POETS;  WITH  CHOICE  AND  COPIOUS  SELEC- 
TIONS  FROM  THE  BEST  MODERN  BRITISH  AND 
AMERICAN  POETS. 

EDITED   BTT   SARAH    JOSEPHA   HALE. 

As  nightingales  do  upon  glow-worms  feed, 
So  poets  live  upon  the  living  light 
Of  Nature  and  of  Beauty. 

Bailey's  Festus. 

Beautifully  illustrated  with  Engravings.     In  one  super-royal  octavo  volume,  in  various 

bindings. 

The  publishers  extract,  from  the  many  highly  complimentary  notices  of  the  above  valuable  and 
beautiful  work,  the  following: 

"We  have  at  last  a  volume  of  Poetical  Quotations  worthy  of  the  name.  It  contains  nearly  six 
hundred  octavo  pages,  carefully  and  tastefully  selected  from  all  the  home  and  foreign  authors  of 
celebrity.  It  is  invaluable  to  a  writer,  while  to  the  ordinary  reader  it  presents  every  subject  at  a 
glance." —  Godey's  Lady's  Book. 

"The  plan  or  idea  of  Mrs.  Hale's  work  is  felicitous.  It  is  one  for  which  her  fine  taste,  her  orderly 
habits  of  mind,  and  her  long  occupation  withjiteralure,  has  given  her  peculiar  facilities;  and  tho- 
roughly has  she  accomplished  her  task  in  the  work  before  us."  —  Sartain's  Magazine. 

"It  is  a  choice  collection  of  poetical  extracts  from  every  English  and  American  author  worth 
perusing,  from  the  days  of  Chaucer  to  the  present  time." — \Vushington  Union. 

"  There  is  nothing  negative  about  this  work ;  it  is  positively  good."  —  Evening  Bulletin. 

10 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

THE  DIAMOND   EDITION  OF  BYRON. 


THE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  LORD  BYRON, 

WITH   A    SKETCH    OF    HIS   LIFE. 

COMPLETE  IN  ONE  NEAT  DUODECIMO  VOLUME,  WITH  STEEL  PLATES. 

The  type  of  this  edition  is  so  perfect,  and  it  is  printed  with  so  much  care,  on  fine  white  paper, 
that  it  can  be  read  with  as  much  ease  as  most  of  the  larger  editions.  This  work  is  to  be  had  in 
plain  and  superb  binding,  making  a  beautiful  volume  for  a  gift. 

"  The  Poetical  Works  of  Lord  Bt/ron,  complete  in  one  volume  ;  published  hv  L.,  G.  <fc  Co.,  Phila- 
delphia. We  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that,  take  it  altogether,  tliis  is  the  most  elegant  work  ever 
issued  from  the  American  press. 

"'In  a  single  volume,  not  larger  than  an  ordinary  duodecimo,  the  publishers  have  embraced  the 
■whole  of  Lord  Byron's  Poems,  usually  printed  in  ten  or  twelve  volumes;  and,  what  is  more  remark- 
able, have  done  it  with  a  type  so  clear  and  distinct,  that,  notwithstanding  its  necessarily  small  size, 
it  may  be  read  with  the  utmost  facility,  even  by  failing  eyes.  The  book  is  stereotyped  ;  and  never 
have  we  seen  a  finer  specimen  of  that  art.  Everything  about  it  is  perfect  — the  paper,  the  print- 
ing, the  binding,  all  correspond  with  each  other;  and  it  is  embellished  with  two  tint  engravings, 
well  worthy  the  companionship  in  which  they  are  placed. 

"  'This  will  make  a  beautiful  Christmas  present.' 

"  We  extract  the  above  from  Godey's  Lady's  Bobk.  The  notice  itself,  we  are  given  to  understand, 
is  written  by  Mrs.  Hale. 

"  We  have  to  add  our  commendation  in  favour  of  this  beautiful  volume,  a  copy  of  which  has 
been  sent  us  by  the  publishers.  The  admirers  of  the  noble  bard  will  feel  obliged  to  the  enterprise 
which  has  prompted  the  publishers  to  dare  a  competition  with  the  numerous  editions  of  his  works 
already  in  circulation ;  and  we  shall  be  surprised  if  this  convenient  travelling  edition  does  not  in  a 
great  degree  supersede  the  use  of  the  large  octavo  works,  which  have  little  advantage  in  size  and 
openness  of  type,  and  axe  much  inferior  in  the  qualities  of  portability  and  lightness."  —  Intelligencer. 


THE   DIAMOND   EDITION  OF  MOORE. 

(CORRESPONDING    WITH    BYRON.) 


THE  POETICAL  WORKS  OF  THOMAS  MOORE, 

COLLECTED  BY  HIMSELF. 

COMPLETE    IN   ONE  VOLUME. 

This  work  is  published  uniform  with  Byron,  from  the  last  London  edition,  and  is  the  most  com- 
plete printed  in  the  country. 

THE  DIAMOND   EDITION  OF  SHAKSPEARE, 

(complete  in  one  volume,) 
INCLUDING  Jk  SKETCH  OP  HIS  LIFE. 

UNIFORM  WITH  BYRON  AND  MOORE. 
THE    ABOVE    WORKS   CAN   BE   HAD    IN    SEVERAL    VARIETIES    OF   BINDING. 

GOLDSMITH'S  ANIMATED  NATURE. 

IN    TWO    VOLUMES,    OCTAVO. 
BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED  WITH  385  PLATES. 

CONTAINING  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  EARTH,  ANIMALS,  BIRDS,  AND  FISHES;   FORMING 
THE  MOST  COMPLETE  NATURAL  HISTORY  EVER  PUBLISHED. 

This  is  a  work  that  should  be  in  the  library  of  every  family,  having  been  written  by  one  of  the 
most  talented  authors  in  the  English  language. 

"  Goldsmith  can  never  be  made  obsolete  while  delicate  genius,  exquisite  feeling,  fine  invention, 
the  most  Harmonious  metre,  and  the  happiest  diction,  are  at  all  valued." 

BIGLAND'S  NATURAL  HISTORY 

Of  Animals,  Birds,  Fishes,  Reptiles,  and  Insects.    Illustrated  with  numerous  and  beautiful  Engrav- 
ings.    By  JOHN  BIGLAND,  author  of  a  "  View  of  the  World,"  "  Letters  on 
Universal  History,"  <tc.     Complete  in  1  vol.,  12mo. 

11  I 


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THE  POWER  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


THE  UNITED  STATES 


Its  Power  and  Progress. 


BY  GUILLAUME    TELL  POUSSIN, 

LATE  MINISTER  OF  THE  REPUBLIC  OF  FRANCE  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

FIRST  AMERICAN,  FROM  THE  THIRD  PARIS  EDITION. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH  BY  EDMOND  L.  DU  BARRY,  M.  D., 

SURGEON  U.  S.  NAVY. 

In  one  large  octavo  volume. 


SCHOOLCRAFT'S  GREAT  NATIONAL  WORK  ON  THE  INDIAN  TRIBES  OF 

THE  UNITED  STATES, 

WITH    BEAUTIFUL    AND    ACCURATE    COLOURED    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


HISTORICAL  AND  STATISTICAL  INFORMATION 


RESPECTING   THE 


HISTORY,  CONDITION  AND  PROSPECTS 

OP   THE  * 

Inhtnti  €nhtB  nifyi  itirifrb  itutis. 

COLLECTED  AND  PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  INDIAN 
AFFAIRS,  PER  ACT  OF  MARCH  3, 1847, 

BT   UEETHir   R.  SCHOOLCBAF7,  LL.D. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  S.  EASTMAN,   Capt.  U.  S.  A. 
PUBLISHED  BY  AUTHORITY  OF  CONGRESS. 


THE  AMERICAN  GARDENER'S  CALENDAR, 

ADAPTED  TO  THE  CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Containing  a  complete  account  of  all  the  work  necessary  to  be  done  in  the  Kitchen  Garden,  Fruit 
Garden,  Orchard,  Vineyard,  Nursery,  Pleasure-Ground,  Flower  Garden,  Green-house,  Hot-house, 
and  Forcing  Frames,  for  every  month  in  the  year ;  with  ample  Practical  Directions  for  performing 
the  same. 

Also,  general  as  well  as  minute  instructions  for  laying  out  or  erecting  each  and  every  of  the  above 
departments,  according  to  modern  taste  and  the  most  approved  plans;  the  Ornamental  Planting  of 
Pleasure  Grounds,  in  the  ancient  and  modern  style;  the  cultivation  of  Thorn  Quicks,  and  other 
plants  suitable  for  Live  Hedges,  with  the  best  methods  of  making  them,  <tc.  To  which  are  annexed 
catalogues  of  Kitchen  Garden  Plants  and  Herbs;  Aromatic,  Pot,  and  Sweet  Herbs;  Medicinal 
Plants,  and  the  most  important  Grapes,  ic,  used  in  rural  economy ;  wiih  the  soil  best  adapted  to 
their  cultivation.    Together  with  a  copious  Index  to  the  body  of  the  work. 

BY  BERNARD   M'MAHON. 

Tenth  Edition,  greatly  improved.    In  one  volume,  octavo. 


THE  PORTFOLIO  OF  A  SOUTHERN  MEDICAL  STUDENT. 

BY  GEORGE  M.  WHARTON,  M.  D. 

WITH   NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIONS   BY   CROOME, 

One  volume,    12mo. 

12 


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THE  FARMER'S  AND  PLANTER'S  ENCYCLOPEDIA; 


€jjj  /arum's  ma)  %\0toft  dtajrlnpirMa  of  teal  Affairs. 

BY  CUTHBERT  W.  JOHNSON. 
ADAPTED  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  GOUVERNEUR  EMERSON. 

Illustrated  by  seventeen  beautiful  Engravings  of  Cattle,  Horses,  Sheep,  the  varieties  of  Wheat, 
Barley,  Oats,  Grasses,  the  Weeds  of  Agriculture,  &.c. ;  besides  numerous  Engrav- 
ings on  wood  of  the  most  important  implements  of  Agriculture,  &o. 
This  standard  work  contains  the  latest  and  best  information  upon  all  subjects  connected  with 
farming,  and  appertaining  to  the  country ;  treating  of  the  great  crops  of  grain,  hay,  cotton,  hemp, 
tobacco,  rice,  sugar,  <kc.  &c. ;  of  horses  and  mules ;  of  cattle,  with  minute  particulars  relating  to 
cheese  and  butter-making;  of  fowls,  including  a  description  of  capon-making,  with  drawings  of  the 
instruments  employed ;  of  bees,  and  the  Russian  and  other  systems  of  managing  bees  and  con- 
structing hives.    Long  articles  on  the  uses  and  preparation  of  bones,  lime,  guano,  and  all  sorts  of 
animal,  mineral,  and  vegetable  substances  employed  as  manures.  Descriptions  of  the  most  approved 
ploughs,  harrows,  threshers,  and  every  other  agricultural  machine  and  implement;  of  fruit  and 
shade  trees,  forest  trees,  and  shrubs  ;  of  weeds,  and  all  kinds  of  flies,  and  destructive  worms  and 
insects,  and  the  best  means  of  getting  rid  of  them ;  together  with  a  thousand  other  matters  relating 
to  rural  life,  about  which  information  is  so  constantly  desired  by  all  residents  of  the  country. 
IN    ONE    LARGE    OCTAVO    VOLUME. 


MASON'S  FARRIER-FARMERS'  EDITION. 

Price,  62  cents. 


THE  PRACTICAL  FARRIER,  FOR  FARMERS: 

COMPRISING    A    GENERAL   DESCRIPTION   OF   THE    NOTiLE   AND   CSEFDL    ANIMAL 

THE    HORSE; 

WITH  MODES  OF  MANAGEMENT  IN  ALL  CASES,  AND  TREATMENT  IN  DISEASE. 

To'wiIICH    IS    ADDED, 

A  PRIZE  ESSAY  ON  MULES;  AND  AN  APPENDIX, 

Containing  Recipes  for  Diseases  of  Horses,  Oxen,  Cows,  Calves,  Sheep,  Dogs,  Swine,  <kc.  Ac. 

BTT  F.ICHARB   MASON,  Ed.  D., 

Formerly  of  Surry  County,  Virginia. 

In  one  volume,  12m  6.;  -bound  in  cloth,  gilt. 

MASON'S  FARRIER  AND  STUD-BOOK-NEW  EDITION. 


THE  GENTLEMAN'S  NEW  POCKET  FARRIER: 

COMPRISING  A  GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NOBLE  AND  USEFOL  ANIMAL, 

THE    HORSE; 

WITH  MODES  OF  MANAGEMENT  IN  ALL  CASES,  AND  TREATMENT  IN  DISEASE. 

BIT  BICHAHB  MASON,  M.  &., 

Formerly  of  Surry  County,  Virginia. 

To  which  is  added,  A  PRIZE  ESSAY  ON  MULKS;  and  AN  APPENDIX,  containing  Recipes  for 

Diseases  of  Horses,  Oxen,  Cows.  Calves,  St.eep,  Dogs,  Swine,  <kc.  <fcc. ;  with  Annals 

of  the  Turf,  American  Stud-Book,  Rules  fur  Training,  Racing,  <kc 

WITH    A    SUPPLEMENT, 

Comprising  an  Essay  on  Domestic  Animals,  especially  the  Horse  ;  with  Remaiks  on  Treatment  and 

Breeding;  together  with  Trotting  and  Racing  Tables,  showing  the  best  time  on  record  at  one, 

two,  three  and  four  mile  heats  ;  Pedigrees  of  Winning  Horses,  since  1839,  and  of  the  most 

celebrated  Stallions  and  Mares;  with  useful  Calving  and  Lambing   Tables.    By 

J.  S.  SKINNER,  Editor  now  of  the  Farmer's  Library,  New  York,  &c.  Ac. 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

HINDS'S  FARRIERY  AND  STUD-BOOK-NEW  EDITION. 

farrTery, 

TAUGHT  ON  A  NEW  AND  EASY  PLAN: 

BEING 

1  €xnilm  m  %  Dtsrnsrs  nnh  Slrrftrnts  of  tin  $ra ; 

With  Instructions  to  the  Shoeing  Smith,  Farrier,  and  Groom;  preceded  by  a  Popular  Description  of 
the  Animal  Functions  in  Health,  and  how  these  are  to  be  restored  when  disordered. 

BY  JOHN    HINDS,  VETERINARY  SURGEON. 

With  considerable  Additions  and  Improvements,  particularly  adapted  to  this  country, 

BY   THOMAS   M.    SMITH, 

Veterinary  Surgeon,  and  Member  of  the  London  Veterinary  Medical  Society. 

WITH  A  SUPPLEMENT,  BY  J.  S.  SKINNER. 

The  publishers  have  received  numerous  flattering  notices  of  the  great  practical  value  of  these 
works.  The  distinguished  editor  of  the  American  Farmer,  speaking  of  them,  observes: — "We 
cannot  too  highly  recommend  these  books,  and  therefore  advise  every  owner  of  a  horse  to  obtain 
them." 

"There  are  receipts  in  those  books  that  show  how  Founder  may  be  cured,  and  the  traveller  pur- 
sue lus  journey  I  he  next  day,  bf  giving  a  tnblrsptmnful  of  alum.  This  was  got  from  Dr.  P.  Thornton, 
of  Mimtpelier,  Kappahannock  county,  Virginia,  as  founded  on  his  own  observation  in  several  cases. 

"The  constant  demand  for  Mason's  and  Hinds's  Farrier  has  induced  the  publishers,  Messrs.  Lip- 
pincott,  Gramho  it  Co.,  to  put  fortli  new  editions,  with  a  'Supplement'  of  100  pages,  by  J.  S.  Skinner, 
Esq.  We  should  have  sought  to  render  an  acceptable  service  to  our  agricultural  readers,  by  giving 
a  chapter  from  the  Supplement,  'On  the  Relations  between  Man  and  the  Domestic  Animals,  espe- 
cially the  Horse,  and  the  Obligations  they  impose  ;'  or  the  one  on  '  The  Form  of  Animals ;'  but  that 
eiLher  one  of  them  would  overrun  the  space  here  allotted  to  such  subjects." 

"  Lists  of  Medicines,  and  other  articles  which  ought  to  be  at  hand  about  every  training  and  livery 
stable,  and  every  Farmer's  and  Breeder's  establishment,  will  be  found  m  these  valuable  works." 


TO   CARPENTERS  AND   MECHANICS. 

Just  Published. 


A  NEW  AND  IMPROVED  EDITION  OP 

THE  CARPENTERS  NEW  GUIDE, 

BEING  A  COMPLETE  BOOK  OF  LINES  FOR 

CARPENTRY   AND   JOINER?; 

Treating  fully  on  Practical  Geometry,  Saffii's  Brick  ami  Plaster  Groins,  Niches  of  every  description. 

Sky-lights,  Lines  for  Roofs  and  Domes:  with  a  great  variety  of  Designs  for  Roofs, 

Trussed  Girders,  Floors,  Domes,  Bridges.  <tc,  Angle  Bars  for  Shop 

Fronts,  &c.,  and  Raking  Mouldings. 

ALSO, 

Additional  Plans  for  various  Stair-Cases,  with  the  Lines  for  producing  the  Face  and  Falling  Moulds, 
never  before  published,  and  greatly  superior  to  those  given  in  a  former  edition  of  this  work. 

BY   WILLIAM  JOHNSON,   ARCHITECT, 

OF    PHILADELPHIA. 

The  whole  founded  on  true  Geometrical  Principles;  the  Theory  and  Practice  well  explained  and 
fully  exemplified,  on  eighty-three  copper  plates,  including  some  Observations  and  Calculations  on 
the  Strength  of  Timber. 

BY    PETER     NICHOLSON, 

Author  of  "The  Carpenter  and  Joiner's  Assistant,"  "The  Student's  Instructor  to  the  Five 

Orders,"  &c. 

Thirteenth  Edition.     One  volume,  4to.,  well  bound. 

14 


i 


LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

A  DICTIONARY  OF  SELECT  AND  POPULAR  QUOTATIONS, 

WHICH  ARE  IN  DAILY  USE. 

TAKEN  FROM  THE  LATIN,  FRENCH,  GREEK,  SPANISH  AND  ITALIAN  LANGUAGES. 

Together  with  a  copious  Collection  of  Law  Maxims  and  Law  Terms,  translated  into 

English,  with  Illustrations,  Historical  and  Idiomatic. 

NEW  AMERICAN  EDITION,  CORRECTED,  WITH  ADDITIONS. 

One   volume,    12mo. 

This  volume  comprises  a  copious  collection  of  legal  and  other  terms  which  are  in  common  use, 
with  English  translations  and  historical  illustrations;  and  we  should  judge  its  author  had  surely 
been  to  a  great  "  Feast  of  Languages,"  and  stole  all  the  scraps.  A  work  of  this  character  should 
have  an  extensive  sale,  as  it  entirely  obviates  a  serious  difficulty  in  which  most  readers  are  involved 
by  the  frequent  occurrence  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  French  passages,  which  we  suppose  are  introduced 
by  authors  for  a  mere  show  of  learning  — a  difficulty  very  perplexing  to  readers  in  general.  This 
"Dictionary  of  Quotations,"  concerning  which  too  much  cannot  be  said  in  its  favour,  effectually 
removes  the  difficulty,  and  gives  the  render  an  advantage  over  the  author ;  for  we  believe  a  majunty 
*re  themselves  ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  the  terms  they  employ.  Very  few  truly  learned  authors 
will  insult  their  readers  by  introducing  Latin  or  French  quotations  in  their  writings,  when  "plain 
English"  will  do  as  well ;  but  we  will  not  enlarge  on  this  point. 

If  the  book  is  useful  to'those  unacquainted  with  other  languages,  it  is  no  less  valuable  to  the 
classically  educated  as  a  book  of  reference,  and  answers  all  the  purposes  of  a  Lexicon  — indeed,  on 
many  accounts,  it  is  better.  It  saves  the  trouble  of  tumbling  over  the  larger  volumes,  to  which 
every  one,  and  especially  those  engaged  in  the  legal  profession,  are  very  often  subjected.  It  should 
have  a  place  in  every  library  in  the  country. 


RUSCHENBERGER'S  NATURAL  HISTORY, 

COMPLETE,     WITH     NEW    GLOSSARY. 


€\}t  (BhmtnlB  of  liaturd  Ibfnrt], 

'  EMBRACING   ZOOLOGY,  BOTANY  AND  GEOLOGY: 

FOR  SCHOOLS,  COLLEGES  AND  FAMILIES. 
BIT  W.  S.  W.  RUSCHENBEaGERjM.D. 

IN    TWO    VOLUMES. 

WITH  NEARLY  ONE  THOUSAND   ILLUSTRATIONS,  AND   A   COPIOUS   GLOSSARY. 

Vol.  I.  contains  Vertebrate  Animals.    Vol.  II.  contains  Intervertebrate  Animals,  Botany,  and  Geology. 

A  Beautiful  and  Valuable  Presentation  Book. 


THE    POET'S    OFFERING. 

EDITED   BY   MRS.   HALE. 

With  a  Portrait  of  the  Editress,  a  Splendid  Illuminated  Title-Page,  and  Twelve  Beautiful  Engrav- 
ings by  Sartain.    Bound  in  rich  Turkey  Morocco,  and  Extra  Cloth,  Gilt  Edge. 

To  those  who  wish  to  make  a  present  that  will  never  lose  its  value,  this  will  be  found  the  most 
desirable  Gift-Book  ever  published. 

"We  commend  it  to  all  who  desire  to  present  a  friend  with  a  volume  not  only  very  beautiful,  but 
of  solid  intrinsic  value."  —  Washington  Union. 

"A  perfect  treasury  of  the  thoughts  and  fancies  of  the  best  English  and  American  Poets  The 
paper  and  printing  are  beautiful,  and  Hie  binding  rich,  elegant,  ami  substantial;  the  most  sensible 
and  attractive  of  all  the  elegant  gilt-books  we  have  seen."  —  Evening  Bulletin. 

"The  publishers  deserve  the  thanks  of  the  public  for  so  happy  a  thought,  so  well  executed.  The 
engravings  are  by  the  best  artists,  and  the  other  portions  of  the  work  correspond  in  elegance."  — 
Pnlihc  Ltdger. 

"There  is  no  hook  of  selections  so  diversified  and  appropriate  within  our  knowledge." — Pennsyl.u'n. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  as  well  as  elegant  books  ever  published  in  this  country."—  Gluten's 
Lady's  Book. 

"It  is  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most  useful  offering  ever  bestowed  on  the  public.  No  individual 
of  literary  tast<;  will  venture  to  be  without  it." —  The  City  Item. 

15 


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THE  YOUNG  DOMINICAN; 
OR,  THE  MYSTERIES  OF  THE  INQUISITION, 

AND  OTHER  SECRET  SOCIETIES  OF  SPAIN. 
BY  M.  V.  DE  FEREAL. 

WITH   HISTORICAL   NOTES,   BY  M,  MANUEL   DE  CUENDIAS, 

TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    FRENCH. 
ILLUSTRATED  WITH  TWENTY  SPLENDID  ENGRAVINGS  BY  FRENCH  ARTISTS. 

One  volume,  octavo. 

SAY'S  POLITICAL  ECONOMY. 


A  TREATISE  ON  POLITICAL  ECONOMY; 
Or,  The  Production,  Distribution  and  Consumption  of  Wealth. 

BIT   JEAN   BAPTISTS    SAT. 

FIFTH   AMERICAN    EDITION,    WITH    ADDITIONAL    NOTES, 

BY  0.   C.    BIDDLE,    Esq. 

In  one  volume,  octavo. 

It  would  be  beneficial  to  our  country  if  all  those  who  are  aspiring  to  office,  were  required  by  their 
constituents  to  be  familiar  with  the  pages  of  Say. 

The  distinguished  biographer  of  the  author,  in  noticing  this  work,  observes :  "  Happily  for  science, 
he  commenced  that  study  which  forms  the  basis  of  his  admirable  Treatise  on  Political  Economy ;  a 
work  which  not  oidy  improved  under  his  hand  with  every  successive  edition,  but  has  been  translated 
into  most  of  the  European  languages." 

The  Editor  of  the  North  American  Review,  speaking  of  Say,  observes,  that  "he  is  the  most 
popular,  and  perhaps  the  most  able  wnter  on  Political  Economy,  since  the  time  of  Smith." 

LAURENCE  STERNE'S  WORKS, 

WITH  A  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR: 

WRITTEN    BY    HIMSELF. 
WITH   SEVEN  BEAUTIFUL  ILLUSTRATIONS,   ENGRAVED  BY   GILBERT   AND   GIHON, 

FROM  DESIGNS  BY  DAK  LEY'. 

One   volume,    octavo;    cloth,    gilt. 

To  commend  or  to  criticise  Sterne's  Works,  in  this  age  of  the  world,  would  be  all  "  wasteful  and 
extravagant  excess."  Uncle  Toby  —  Corporal  Trim  —  the  Widow  —  Le  Fevre  —  Poor  Maria  —  the 
Captive  —  even  the  Dead  Ass,  —  this  is  all  we  have  to  say  of  Sterne;  and  in  the  memory  of  these 
characters,  histories,  and  sketches,  a  thousand  follies  and  worse  than  follies  are  forgotten.  The 
volume  is  a  very  handsome  one. 


THE  MEXICAN  WAR  AND  ITS  HEROES; 

BEING 

A  COMPLETE 'HISTORY  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR, 

EMBRACING   ALL   THE   OPERATIONS    UNDER   GENERALS    TAYLOR  AND   SCOTT. 

WITH  A  BIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  OFFICERS. 

ALSO, 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF  CALIFORNIA  AND  NEW  MEXICO, 

Under  Gen.  Kearny,  Cols.  Doniphan  and  Fremont.    Together  with  Numerous  Anecdotes  of  the 

War,  and  Personal  Adventures  of  the  Officers.     Illustrated  with  Accurate 

Portraits,  and  other  Beautiful  Engravings. 

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_ 


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NEW  AMD  COMPLETE  COOK-BOOK. 

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ONE   THOUSAND    RECEIPTS, 

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Game;  Soups, Broths,  Vegetables,  and  Salads.     Also,  for  making  all  kinds  of  Plain  and 
Fancy  Breads,  Pastes,  Puddings,  Cakes,  Creams,  Ices,  Jellies,   Preserves,  Marma- 
lades, <fcc.  «kc.  Ac.     Together  with  various  Miscellaneous  Recipes, 
and  numerous  Preparations  for  Invalids. 

BY   MRS.    BLISS. 
In    <ine    volume,    12 mo. 

€\)i  Citt[  3&rri)niit ;  or,  €\t  Jlhjstrrintis  /nilttrr. 

BY    J.   B.   J  O  1,  _ 

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ILLUSTRATED   WITH   TEN    ENGRAVINGS. 

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CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON; 

OR,  SIGHTS  IN  THE  GOLD  REGION,  AND  SCENES  BY  THE  WAY, 

BY  THEODORE   T.  JOHNSON. 
WITH    NOTES,   BY   HON.  SAMUEL  R.  THURSTON, 

Delegate  to  Congress  from  that  Territory. 

With  numerous  Plates  and  Maps. 

AUNT  PHILLIS'S  CABIN; 

OR,    SOUTHERN    LIFE   AS    IT    IS. 

BY    MRS.    MARY    H.    EASTMAN. 
PRICE,  50  AND  75  CENTS. 

This  volume  presents  a  picture  of  Southern  Life,  taken  at  different  points  of  view  from  the  one 
occupied  by  the  authoress  of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin."  The  writer,  being  a  native  of  the  South,  is  fa- 
miliar with  the  many  varied  aspects  assumed  by  domestic. servitude  in  that  sunny  region,  and  there- 
fore feels  competent  to  give  pictures  of  "  Southern  Life,  as  it  is." 

Pledged  to  no  clique  or  party,  and  free  from  the  pressure  of  any  and  all  extraneous  influences, 
she  has  written  her  book  with  a  view  to  its  truthfulness;  and  the  public  at  the  North,  as  well  as 
at  the  South,  will  find  in  "Aunt  Phi  Uis's  Cabin"  not  the  distorted  picture  of  an  interested  painter, 
but  the  faithful  transcript  of  a  Daguerreotypist. 


ts 


WHAT  IS  CHURCH  HISTORY? 

A  VINDICATION  OF  THE  IDEA  OF  HISTORICAL  DEVELOPMENTS, 

BY   PHILIP   SCHAF. 

TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    GERMAN. 

In  one  volume,  12mo. 

~17- 


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DODD'S  LECTURES. 


DISCOURSES  TO  YOUNG  MEN. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  NUMEROUS  HIGHLY  INTERESTING  ANECDOTES. 

BY   WILLIAM  DODD,   LL.  D., 

CHAPLAIN    IN   ORDINARY    TO   HIS    MAJESTY    GEORGE   THE  THIRD. 

FIRST  AMERICAN  EDITION,  WITH  ENGRAVINGS. 
One  volume,  18mo. 

THE  IRIS: 

AN   ORIGINAL   SOUVENIR. 
With  Contributions  from  the  First  Writers  in  the  Country. 

EDITED   BY  PROF.   JOHN   S.   HART. 

With  Splendid  Illuminations  and  Steel  Engravings.     Bound  in  Turkey  Morocco  and  rich  Papier 

Mache  Binding. 

IN    ONE   VOLUME,    OCTAVO. 

Its  contents  are  entirely  original.  Among  the  contributors  are  names  well  known  in  the  republic 
of  letters ;  such  as  Mr.  Boker,  Mr  Stoddard,  Prof.  Moffat,  Edith  May,  Mrs.  Sigouraey,  Caroline  May, 
Mrs.  Kinney,  Mrs  Butler,  Mrs.  Pease.  Mrs.  Swift,  Mr.  Van  Bibber,  Rev.  Charles  T.  Brooks,  Mrs. 
Dorr,  Erastus  W.  Ellsworth.  Miss  E.  W.  Barnes,  Mrs.  Williams,  Mary  Young,  Dr.  Gardette,  Alice 
Carey,  Phebe  Carey,  Augusta  Browne,  Hamilton  Browne,  Caruliue  Eustis,  Margaret  Junkiu,  Maria 
J.  B.  Browne,  Miss  Starr.  Mrs.  Brotlierson,  Kate  Campbell,  ic. 

<Rmb  from  tlje  $mxtb  3ilm; 

OR,  HOLY  THOUGHTS  UPON  SACRED  SUBJECTS. 

BY  CLERGYMEN  OF  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 
EDITED  BY  THOMAS  WYATT,  A.M. 

In  one  volume,  12mo. 

WITH   SEVEN   BEAUTIFUL   STEEL   ENGRAVINGS. 

The  contents  of  this  work  are  chiefly  by  clergymen  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Among  the  con- 
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Bishop  Johns,  and  Bisliop  Doane;  and  the  Rev.  Drs.  H.  V.  D  Johns,  Coleman,  and  Butler;  Rev.  G. 
T.  Bedell,  M'Cahe,  Ogilsby,  <tc.  The  illustrations  are  rich  and  exquisitely  wrought  engravings  upon 
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Agony  in  the  Garden,"  and  "  The  Flight  into  Egypt."  These  subjects,  with  many  others  in  prose 
and  verse,  are  ably  treated  throughout  the  work. 


ANCIENT  CHRISTIANITY  EXEMPLIFIED, 

In  the  Private,  Domestic,  Social,  and  Civil  DLife  of  the  Primitive 

Christians,  and  in  the  Original  Institutions,  Offices, 

Ordinances,  and  Rites  of  the  Church* 

BY  REV,  LYMAN  COLEMAN,  D.D. 

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LONZ   POWERS;  Or,  The  Regulators. 
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FOUNDED    ON    FACTS. 

BY  J  A  IVIES  WEIR,  ESQ. 
IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 
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A  MANUAL  OF  TOLITENESS, 

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PRINCIPLES  OF  ETIQUETTE  AND  RULES  OF  BEHAVIOUR 

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THE  ANTEDILUVIANS ;  Or,  The  World  Destroyed. 

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BY  JAMES   M'HENRY,    M.D. 
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~19~ 


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BY  WAY  OF  ABSTRACT  TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED,  A  DISCOURSE  UNDER 

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lour Song-Book,  or  Songster."    The  immortal  Shakspeare  observes  — 
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ROBOTHAM'S  POCKET  FRENCH  DICTIONARY, 

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1 

20 


THE  LiFE  AND  OPINIONS  OF  TRISTRAM  SHANDY,  GENTLEMAN. 

COMPRISING   THE    UUMOROOS    ADVENTURES   Of 

UNCLE   TOBY   AND  CORPORAL   TRIM. 

BIT  L.  STSSHE. 
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A  SENTIMENTAL  JOURNEY. 

BY   L.    STERNE. 

Illustrated  as  above  t>y  Darley.     Stitclied. 

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THE  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  JACKSON, 

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One  volume,  18ino. 


LIFE   OF    PAUL    JONES. 

In  one  volume,  12mo. 

WITH   ONE    HUNDRED   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

BY   JAMES   HAMILTON. 

The  work  is  compiled  from  his  original  journals  and  correspondence,  and  includes  an  account  of 
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Black  Sea.  There  is  scarcely  any  Naval  Hero,  of  any  age.  who  combined  in  his  character  so  much 
of  the  adventurous,  skilful  and  daring, as  Paul  Jones  The  incidents  of  his  life  are  almost  as  start- 
ling and  absorbing  as  those  of  romance.  His  achievements  during  tlje  American  Revolution  —  the 
fight  between  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  ami  Serapis.  the  most  desperate  naval  action  on  record  — 
and  the  alarm  into  winch,  with  so  small  a  force,  he  threw  the  coasts  of  England  and  Scotland  — are 
matters  comparatively  well  known  to  Americans ;  but  the  incidents  of  his  subsequent  career  have 
been  veiled  in  obscurity,  which  is  dissipated  by  this  biography.  A  book  Wee  this,  narrating  the 
actions  of  such  a  man,  ought  to  meet  with  an  extensive  sale,  and  become  as  popular  us  Robinson 
Crusoe  in  fiction,  or  Weenis's  Life  of  Marion  and  Washington,  and  similar  books,  in  fact.  It  con- 
tains 400  pages,  has  a  handsome  portrait  and  medallion  likeness  of  Jones,  and  is  illustrated  with 
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familiar. 


REEK  i 

Or,  A  Narrative  of  the  Captivity  and  Escape  of  Christophonis  Plato  Castanis, 

DURING   THE    MASSACRE   ON   THE   ISLAND    OF    SCIO   BY  THE   TURKS. 
TOGETHER  WITH  VARIOUS  ADVENTURES  IN  GREECE  AND  AMERICA. 

WRITTEN    BY    HIMSELF, 

Author  of  an  Essay  on  the  Ancient  and  Modern  Greek  Languages ;  Interpretation  of  the  Attributes 

of  the  Prmcipal  Fabulous  Deities  ;  The  Jewish  Maiden  of  Scio's  Citadel;  and 

the  Greek  Boy  in  the  Sunday-SchooL 

One  volume,  12mo. 

THE  YOUNG  CHORISTER; 

A  Collection  of  New  and  Beautiful  Tunes,  adapted  to  the  use  of  Sahbath-Schools,  from  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  composers  ;  together  with  many  of  the  author's  compositions. 

EDITED  BY  MINARD  W.  WILSON. 
21" 


—  j 


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CAMP  LIFE  OF  A  VOLUNTEER. 

A  Campaign  in  Mexico;  Or,  A  Glimpse  at  Life  in  Camp. 

BY  "ONE  WHO  HAS  SEEN  THE  ELEPHANT." 

life  of  (Hetural  patjjarq  <®ai]lorT 

COMPRISING   A   NARRATIVE   OF   EVENTS   CONNECTED   WITH    HIS   PROFESSIONAL 
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BY  J.  REESE  FRY  AND  R.  T.  CONRAD. 

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In  one  handsome  12mo.  volume. 

"  It  is  by  far  the  fullest  and  most  interesting  biography  of  General  Taylor  that  we  have  ever  s»en." 
— Richmond  ( Whin)  Chronicle. 

"On  the  whole,  we  are  satisfied  that  this  volume  is  the  most  correct  and  comprehensive  one  yet 
published."  —  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine. 

"  The  superiority  of  tins  edition  over  the  ephemeral  publications  of  the  day  consists  in  fuller  and 
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THE  FAMILY  DENTIST, 

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OF  THE  TEETH. 

Illustrated  -with  thirty-one   Engravings. 

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2§ 


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Of  American  models,  Steam-Engines,   Water- Works,   Navigation,  Bridge-building,  ic.   tc"  By 

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WILLIAMS'S-  TRAVELLER'S  AND  TOURIST'S  GUIDE 
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_  _ 


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Assisted  by  several  other  Gentlemen. 

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NINTH   EDITION,  WITH   A  SUPPLEMENT, 

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SlrtljtirB  lilirart]  for  tin  JSDnsfJjnlfo. 

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1.  WOMAN'S  TRIALS ;  OR.  TALES  AND  SKETCHES  FROM  THE  LIFE  AROUND  VS. 

2.  MARRIED  LIFE;  ITS  SHADOWS  AND  SUNSHINE. 

3.  THE  TWO  WIVES;  OR  LOST  AND  WON. 

i.  THE  WAYS  OF  PROVIDENCE  ;  OR,  "  HE  DOETH  ALL  THINGS  WELL." 

5.  HOME  SCENES  AND  HOME  INFLUENCES. 

6.  STORIES  FOR  YOUNG  HOUSEKEEPERS. 

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